No, becuase it does say broadband internet required for online actions actually.

Look at it the other way, Sony don't have to right to take away something they sold to you.  Becuase using your threoy Sony could disable your PS3 from playing Blu-Ray disc's (they never would do that) even though you brought a the PS3 as a Blu Ray player.  I have a PS3 as an Open Platform machine as it was advertised, now through no fault of my own I am lossing what I paid for.

Its against the law in the EU, simply as that.

You guys are crazy, Sony is doing this to better the network, If you bought a PS3 to only use the other OS, then that is even crazier. They can't win no matter what, If the PS3 gets hacked and you get a curupted update , and your PS3 dies, your gonna bitch, they are fixing this problem now, so this does not happen and people still bitch, there is no winning. I am all for a more secure network, I use my Ps3 for games, dvd, bluray, texting, viewing and storing movies, photos, i am more then happy.

I partitioned the 10 g for linux years ago when I upgraded my PS3's hard drive to 250 g, but never have installed linux. I wanted linux for: MAME, Firefox and shoutcast support. When will Sony get around to fixing the browser and adding shoutcast? But then there's no MAME. Looks like I'll just go to 'plan b', which is buy a cheap $200 asus ion based 30 watt pc for the tv, which would also be able to run some other games and apps (Google Earth) and also play the DVD iso's on my 1t hard drive presently hooked up to a mediagate.

Wow, you didn't even read the OP did you!

Losing OOS to fight piracy is fine by me so long as I get something in return for my loss.  I brought an Open Platform machine, now Sony want to take that away.  I don't want to see the PS3 hacked, but I don't want to be robbed.

So like I said in the OP, its fine if they take the OS option so long as they give something in return.

Er what?  No Linux MAME?  Look here: http://gmameui.sourceforge.net/

This may be off topic, but didn't Nintendo remove support of playback of several media file formats on the Wii with a firmware update?

does anyone know?

you keep missing the vital point -- they aren't taking away the function.  you aren't reuquired to download it.  if you choose to nt download it, your machine will remain in the same form and function as when you purchased it and will allow you to use it with only the features it included in your purchase.  you want to absolve yourself of that choice and say Sony owes you for additional features but you aren't obligated to adhere to the ToS that you have to agree to to obtain them.  that's dishonest.

don't update your firmware, that's fine.  but to voluntarily do so and then complain that Sonhy removied a feature that you volunteered to remove yourself by updating it with full knowledge of what it would do is utterly ridiculous.

Ok, I don't see how you don't understand.  I'll take apart what you said.

strunge said: you keep missing the vital point -- they aren't taking away the function

My reply: Of course they are taking away a function, they are taking away the whole Open Platform aspect of the machine.

strunge said: you aren't reuquired to download it.  if you choose to nt download it, your machine will remain in the same form and function as when you purchased it

My Reply: I am required to download it if I stil want to access the PSN.  Also, my machine will NOT function the same as when I brought it, becuase when I brought it, the PS3 was Open Platform and I could access the PSN.

strunge said: you want to absolve yourself of that choice and say Sony owes you for additional features but you aren't obligated to adhere to the ToS that you have to agree to to obtain them. that's dishonest.

My reply: Terms of service (TOS) that a company creates are not recognised as Law when they contradict EU Law no matter what a big company will have you belive.  The Law is "* be fit for the purpose which the consumer requires them and which was made known to the seller at the time of purchase", it doesnt matter what the TOS says becuase what Sony have done is goes against the Law. 

By your thinking, Sony in threoy could block the use of Blu ray films on the PS3 becuase they change the Operating Systems functions like it says they can in the TOS.  If they done that Sony would have the shit sued out of them.  This is the same thing.  Sony are forcing customers to pick one of two services that was made known at the time of purchase.  Maybe the law is different in your counrty, but in Europe you just can't do it.

ya but it's just like any other product. you need to agree to their terms in order to use the product. if you don't agree, you can't use the product.

same with this firmware update. you need to agree to the terms of the new update. if you don't, you don't get access to the service.

now, provided you do agree to the new terms (which totally disregards all previous agreements - it's one of the terms you agreed to when you bought the ps3, look it up) you have now agreed to allow sony to remove the feature. and since it's stated you own none of the features provided to you, you have no right to the other os feature anymore since you have nullified the original terms that stated you had a right to it.

what strunge was saying is you are not obligated to update, just like you are not obligated to agree to any other terms for any other product. but obviously then you can't use the product. legally, you are agreeing to the terms and giving them the right to take the feature away. but obviously, you're in a bind where you want the service and you don't want to agree to their new terms of agreement. but what are you gonna do, that's life.

EDIT: and btw i do agree w/ you, if this does turn out to not be an april fool's joke, sony should (would - is what i would've assumed) add other features to make up for it because while they are not doing anything illegal or wrong, companies typically go out of their way to make the customer happy even when he's wrong. the fact theyre not adding any features is what makes it all fishy.