What bothers me is that it will benefit Sony ONLY in the short term.
While selling the plant will gain them Several hundred million, To re-purchase all the Cell chips over a period of 1 - 2 years (Maybe it could take 4 - 5 years) will cost them more then the several hundred million they'll be getting now for it, or if they manufactured these chips themselves. (or contracted to Sell these chips elsewhere)
Anyone who says selling a plant will make things cheaper for Sony must not really understand what it is to be a manufacturer??? -Unless of course the plant is already running at a major loss.
If the company was financially stable they would be keeping this plant as in the long run, (2 years +) they would be making more of a profit then what they would selling it now. - Especially since the product they manufacture is used in their own system, (what happens when the PS3 becomes $350 or $300 and sells much faster - they'll require many more cell chips), and it WILL be used in many other products in the future. (Especially since Sony has claimed this to be the processor of the future).
Selling $2.7 Billion of their Financial Holdings Company, Selling a manufacturing plant which over time will net them a higher profit then the lump sum they would get now, (EDIT: Being maxed out on loans, having at least $2.4 Billion tied up with unsold PS3's) -these do not seem like the actions of a company that is secure.
I mean Yes, selling these things to streamline their business is in fact a great thing for Sony as they can re-invest their finances in areas that are currently successful (Electronics). The problem with this however is that they are going to become a much smaller company overall.
It's me... no really, it IS me!!!
