Help from PS3 owners..Can I get a review from you guys on the PS3?

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ssj12 said:
umm... heres my amazon review; I did a slight update on it for the 80GB but nothing major.

The PlayStation 3 is a great console. With every firmware update Sony adds new features and modifies others making the overall console better and better.

The online function for the PS3 is made using Sony's idea of keeping it a free user based network. Even though it is limited currently you can send messages to other users keep a buddy list, browse the internet using Sony's own internet browser, download music, movies, game demos, arcade games and more.

Currently there are 64 games available for purchase at retail or for download off the PlayStation Network Store. Prices for downloads range from 3.99 to 39.99. There are also PS1 games that can be played on both the PS3 and the PSP if you own one. Don’t worry though, Sony announced that there will be 200 more games released by the end of the year, it’s also rumored that one of the games will be Metal Gear Solid 4. On a side-note, it’s been confirmed about 60 times that Metal Gear Solid 4 is PlayStation 3 exclusive and won’t be going to the Xbox 360. Sony’s full E3 2007 press conference is currently available on the PlayStation Network Store.

If you want to make yourself feel good you can use the Folding@Home feature that helps the medical branch of Stanford University study protein stains from diseases in hope of finding a cure from everything ranging from the common cold or AIDs, cancer, and herpes.

You might be wondering even though these features are great it doesn't completely justify spending 499 (60GB model) or 599 (80GB model/bundle) bucks let me explain why this is worth it without stating what I said above, those are mainly just a giant plus sign.

The key reason for the price being so big is because of the Blu-ray DVD drive. You might be wondering why Sony would jam their format into a gaming console. It’s for two reasons. So you can watch movies every resolution up to full 1080p and so game developers have enough space to make a huge game without having to worry about changing discs. We all know changing discs for a game went out with the original PlayStation, and yes this is where the Xbox 360 will greatly suffer down the road, the first game that will have multi-discs on the 360 has already been launched in Japan and will be released in America on August 28, 2007, it’s called Blue Dragon.

Now what’s so great about Blu-ray that HD-DVD or standard DVD’s can’t do? HD-DVD has mostly everything Blu-ray does but doesn't offer nearly as much space which can cause movie studios to limit the amount of HD content or special features on the disc. Blu-ray also has a new feature available now called Blu-ray Java which will allow the menus to look even better and run better then they currently do on HD-DVD. Another key detail is that 7/8 Hollywood studios and most hardware manufacturers support Blu-ray.

Another great feature is the internal Wi-Fi Adapter. This allows you to not have to either buy an external Wi-Fi adapter to make your gaming console have wireless internet and saves money on Ethernet Cables.

The HDMI port built in to the console is rated to run HDMI 1.3. Some will say “but the Xbox 360 Elite Edition has HDMI.” Well there’s a major difference, the Elite 360 only supports HDMI 1.2 which is greatly limited compared to HDMI 1.3 which supports 7.1 lossless-audio which is currently the best audio quality available. HDMI 1.3 also supports up to a 1440p resolution so once TVs manage to obtain the Ultra-High-Definition levels the PS3 will be able to at least play some of its smaller PlayStation Network Store downloadable games at that resolution.

Now finally the key advantage, the Cell Broadband Engine, the heart of the console. This processor is designed by Sony, Toshiba, and IBM. The Cell is currently the most powerful processor to date, and basic desktop processors are expected to take another 4 or 5 years to match its power. The Cell has been rated to be 12 – 15 times faster than Intel’s Core 2 Quad-Extreme.

With tons of massive titles coming out in the next few years there is no reason to get a PS3 now.

 I actually agree with the last line of your review, there is no reason to get a PS3 right now.  Why get it now when you can wait until next year when the console will probably be cheaper and by then there will be some solid titles in either the bargain bin or the $30 range and more solid titles out or coming out soon.  I see very little reason to get a PS3 this year.