Why You should buy Phat, NOT Slim

[ZenfoldorVGI]

greenmedic88 said:
The slimline has a few things going for it that aren't a matter of opinion:
1. It uses less power
2. It runs cooler and quieter (coincides with 45nm chipset)
3. It's lighter and smaller in volume/dimension

You lose the ability to install Linux, which frankly appeals to such a small percentage of owners that those who want/need this feature should buy a $299 80GB SKU immediately or just buy a used older model later.

I don't know why anyone is still trying to act shocked that SCE didn't bring back hardware PS2 BC as a "deal breaker."

Everyone who's seen the revised motherboards can see there's no room for PS2 related chips. Software emulation is extremely likely to bring PS2 games back to the PS3. It's simply a matter of optimal timing which is clearly not a priority seeing as how PS2 hardware is still selling.

Other than that, the only minor con of buying a very reliable 80GB SKU today at $299 is a smaller HDD. Both are upgradable, so unless 120GB is the absolute "perfect" size for you, it's not a game changer.

As for reliability, I'd say it's very likely that the slim will be as reliable, if not more reliable due to the smaller die process, lower power requirements and lower amount of heat being generated.

Looking at the casing alone tells me heat is a much smaller issue with the slim: the side vents are gone and the front vents have been greatly reduced in area. Looking at the original casing (20/60GB), you can see that even more vents were required over the 40/80GB revisions due to the higher thermal envelope. Not surprisingly, the originals are not as reliable as the later, cooler revisions.

And going off the casing; one can clearly see where some of the cost cutting took place in terms of fewer materials, cheaper manufacturing process, etc. I won't say the slim looks cheap, but the original piano black, chrome trim certainly made it look like a high end piece of equipment (and should, given that the original cases reportedly cost over $60 to manufacture).

@bolded

Bingo!