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The Playstation 3 is the best games console that you can buy but the original console had quite a few problems and was also quite bulky and so now we have the slim PS3 which corrects these issues and is also smaller, quieter and uses less power. So if you are thinking of buying a Playstation 3 console then you should definitely go for the new Slim version as it is much more reliable and also has a better design.
The slim PS3 is available in 120GB and 250GB models and so you have a choice of the amount of space that you would like. The 120GB PS3 is the most popular as it is cheaper and still offers a large amount of storage space, if you like to store movies and whole games on the hard drive then you should probably buy the 250GB PS3 though as this will offer that extra space that you are likely to need.
The PS3 is an amazing games console as it is very powerful and also has lots of very cool features. It uses a ‘Cell' processor from IBM and a video processor from Nvidia and so is 40 times more powerful than the PS2 and can do a mind boggling two trillion calculations per second. The Nvidia graphics processor also means that the PS3 has amazing graphics and the Slim PS3 uses the full HD HDMI connection and so you get a pure, uncompressed digital image sent to your full HD TV. And the sound is also very impressive on the Slim Playstation 3 as it outputs Dolby Digital surround sound and can also support 7.1 channels if you have that many speakers.
The features of the slim PS3 are also very impressive. You can play online for free which is great and you can also use other online services such as chat, web browsing and even viewing online content from services such as the BBC iPlayer. But it is the online game play that most players will love as there is nothing better than having a good game online with lots of players from around the world, be that a sports game, a war game or a strategy game.
One other very impressive feature of the Slim PS3 is that it has a Blu Ray player included and so you do not need to buy another Blu Ray player if you buy a slim PS3. The picture quality from the PS3 when watching a Blu Ray Disc is amazing and looks far better than the standard DVD and so this is a great reason to buy a slim PS3 as it also offers you a fully featured Blu Ray player and access to full HD movies.
So if you buying a new Slim PS3 then it is very important that you have an HD ready TV and preferably a full HD TV as the picture quality will be immense in full HD on a full HD television. A home cinema system will also add to the enjoyment as the Dolby Digital sound has to be enjoyed with a proper home cinema system to be appreciated and with this setup you will have an amazing time playing the Slim PS3.
The news is out: the PS3 games console is to be launched simultaneously around the globe in November 2006. But despite the grand global launch plan for the PS3 games console, there are doubts about its impact on the market. Even more, game analysts doubt if this global launch can help Sony regain lost market because of the earlier release of Microsoft's Xbox 360. There are also many speculations why the new PS3's launch keeps getting delayed.
Though Sony claims that the delays were due to digital rights management or DRM troubles, many analysts believe otherwise. Analysts pose more pressing issues as reasons for the PS3 games console's launch delays. Eiichi Katayama, an analyst from Tokyo-based Nomura Securities' Financial & Economic Research, suggests that the delays are probably caused by the slow progress of graphics chip development. Others offer reasons such as insufficiency of appropriate software titles. However, Sony is quick to dismiss these rumors and again reiterated the problem of DRM for their Blu-ray optical drive.
Blu-ray chips provide the new console with removable PS3 storage capacity that is five times bigger than the storage provided by DVDs of older consoles. Reports that PS3's Blu-ray and DRM feature are almost finished make them unlikely causes of delays. According to Katayama, ROM mark and BD+ licensing have already started which make copy protection technology an implausible reason. Analysts believe that if DRM technology really cause the delay, the profit from PS3 games console would not suffer too much. However, if the reasons are as they believe -- graphics chip development -- the sales impact would probably be the worst in Sony's history.
Sony contradicts the analysts' measure of the situation and denies that the delays set the PS3 games console and the company at a disadvantage behind Microsoft and Xbox 360. Xbox 360 hit the stores last year and is still the top gaming console according to market trends. Jennie Kong, Sony's European branch's PR manager, defends the company's strategy and claims that the company doesn't allow itself to be dictated by their competitors' moves. However, history supports the analysts' views of the matter. It can be recalled that Microsoft and Sony had once faced the same situation, only this time, Sony has the advantage with the early release of their PS2 over the first Xbox. Current Analysis' Steve Kovsky reminds that at that time, Microsoft suffered huge losses; clearly, Sony is slated for the same fate with PS3.
If Sony pushes for the November 2006 launch, it gives the Xbox 360 a full year sales advantage. However, the PS3 games franchise's problem does not end with the launch's delays. Rumors and news are circulating that even before its game console's launch, Sony is planning to outlaw its resale. Different sources claim that Sony plans to sell the new consoles with their own individual licenses. This effectively prohibits second-hand sales in person or in online shops like and . In essence, buyers are only purchasing the license to use the consoles; Sony still holds the proprietorship of the product. Game analysts comment that this is a logical move, if proven true. Sony would need all the push it can have to increase the sales of individual PS3 units.
The company refrains from making comments about the allegations no licensing. They maintain that all important announcements have been made during the E3 trade show and all other announcements would be made on the PS3 games console launch. This announcement, instead of putting a stop to the rumor mill only fuel the fire. But as it is, there is nothing gamers can do but just play their PS3 games and wait.