As a 80GiB PS3 owner, I don't really see what all the fuss is about...
Yes, it's a bit smaller and has a few features missing (touch sensor buttons, OS installation and the rotating PS logo), but I don't look at the console when I'm playing on it, and I couldn't give a crap about saving a few inches as I don't have anything above my PS3 as it is (my PS3 and 360 are side by side on a shelf on my TV stand).
It uses a bit less power, but if I sold my PS3 and bought the Slim, chances are that I'd still lose out as I wouldn't get back what I paid for my PS3 (£299 with a couple of games and Iron Man on Blu-Ray... And then my 32" HDTV in my bedroom, which was a fun way to blow £1,000).
My PS3 is also my main DVD player (I have a few Blu-Ray movies that I've been given, but I can't justify spending up to double for a slightly better picture... Would Watchmen be a better movie if I'd paid £20 for it instead of £11? Not really, it'd just have a more detailed blue glowing penis :/) and the noise output isn't a problem for me as it's usually covered by the sound of whatever I'm watching \ playing... Unlike my 360 which likes to be as noisy as is technically possible while playing audio from games and movies quietly so that I have to change my TV volume from 15 (perfectly fine for everything else) to 30 (can hear every word in my living room over the 42" HDTV in there), which is a pain sometimes as my TV switches over automatically if I've set a show reminder... Mumble, mumble, BLARGH VOLUME!
At least it's more of a change than simply changing the colour and upping the HDD space, so there's less chance of them doing the Microsoft dick move of getting people to buy an improved and higher priced console (Elite) before quickly adding all it's features to the lower priced versions.

As long as my PS3 plays PS3 games, my 3rd 360 plays 360 games and my laptop plays what few games it can (seriously, a new laptop is next on my list of things to buy :[), ][/),]Considering that Rock Band and GH World Tour both use 4, seeing only 2 USB ports was kind of a shock![/quote]
Indeed.
You don't see any other console manufacturer releasing new models which are incompatible with Guitar Hero... Oh wait   ​
Also, buying one for the HDD space is a bit of a waste as you can put whatever sized laptop SATA drive you like into a PS3 without voiding the warranty and without having any computer hardware skills.

It's typically every five years. This generation is supposed to last slightly longer though, and they believe that the current gen consoles hold us over until 2012 or so.

Sony has pushed the PS3 as a ten year console pretty much since day one due to it's supposedly god like powers while Microsoft jumped on the ten year bandwagon due to the economic crisis and the whole "our consoles esplode!" issue which has cost them a fair bit of money.

its true though psyburn it's been obvious from day one that the price would get cheaper (ZING ZING ALL CONSOLES DO) so unless you want to spend a lot money on the console buy it later and stop complaining about stupid things!

$100 i think.

Only PS1. Someone (IGN, I think?) believes that it may be introduced in a future firmware update.


I'm not affected by this, though. My PS3 is an older model which plays PS2 games.

Rumor and speculation based on some patent someone dug up.  Koller (SCEA) offered up this as the reason why, however:

“Now that we’re at a point where we’re three years into the lifecycle of the PS3″, he told us earlier today, “there are so many PS3 disc-based games that are available that we think — and noticed this from our research — that most consumers that are purchasing the PS3 cite PS3 games as a primary [reason]“.

“And it’s not just like 50 or 60 percent. It’s well into the 80 or 90 percentile range who are purchasing it for PS3 [games]. We do know that there are next gen consumers wanting to come over the the PS3. Most of those are consumers who have not utilized their PS2 for a little while and they’re ready to jump into the PlayStation 3.”

Slim's case design is rather fugly though.

You honestly can't say the PS3's current case is any better.
Hahaha
Yeah they weren't really thinking when they designed the PS3's case.

I think it's alright, a bit bulky but it's decent.  I mean, check out the comparison pics from Sony; the Slim looks like garbage.