What it ultimately comes down to is a matter of perspective, of course. Sony has, in recent years, become a product- and service-oriented business instead of a customer-oriented one. This is definitely highlighted nicely in the design decisions for the PS3. When you break it down, every major shortcoming in the PS3's release can be traced back to thinking of the product or the service it provides over the consumer. Sony opted for powerful hardware because the product would be more functional that way.
They opted to use Blu-Ray because it would simultaneously promote another product line of theirs and give an additional service to the product. They opted to make the Cell processor complex so that the product would be able to provide more services in the future. They kept devkits in short and expensive supply because it meant that they could control the supply of new products and services for their device more effectively. They didn't release before Microsoft because their existing products and services were still successful, and more to the point, waiting meant that they could look at Microsoft's product and make their product even more powerful and more service-worthy.
A product which is sold for the product's sake is basically like saying "look how awesome our product is". It's purely ego-stroking, showing that the product's manufacturer has no interest in the customer, only in the sale of the product. Conversely, customer-oriented products take into account what the largest number of customers want from the product, and are molded specifically to send the message "look how awesome our product makes you" to the customer. The difference is immense in the minds of the vast majority of potential consumers, who care more about getting something instantly gratifying than getting something inherently powerful.
Sky Render - Sanity is for the weak.
