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drkohler on 05 October 2007
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NJ5 said:


Why on earth would they remove 2 USB ports from the console if not to reduce the size of the motherboard (together with the PS2 chip and memory card readers removal), and consequently the size of the console? How much are they saving with this measure, $1-$3 per console?

Or maybe it's just a way to differentiate the models in the minds of consumers? If that's the case well... I still think it's lousy. As far as I can see, the models are more than differentiated by disk size, memory card readers and BC issues already.

Can someone think of a good reason for this? Are they financially desperate enough to make the meager monetary saving the reason for this?

Well, as I tried to explain in my previous message, a change in the case size does increase the production costs. It seems the board size probably is also still the same.. but I haven't yet seen a really detailed analysis/picture of this new SKU. At least in Switzerland, it seems the new customers get royally screwed with this new model:

Old starter pack : new Sfr 799 (includes 2 controllers, 2 Games) down from Sfr 899

New SKU: Sfr 649 (packshots show plain box - no 2nd controller, no 2 games)

I really wonder what comes with the new SKU, as both games and the controller in the starter pack retail all at around Sfr 100 each at the moment... ($1 = Sfr 1.18)