Isn't the comparison table missing the wireless headset on the part of the Elite? or did that disappear along with the HDMI cable?
And surely the budget conscious Christmas buyer probably won't be looking down the $300 aisle but will be looking more at the $249 Wii and $199 360 Arcade. The budget concsious buyer isn't going to be walking in to a retailer thinking "should I get Elite or Slim" but rather "What's the cheapest games machine I can get". And folks that's the 360 Arcade. The Slim and Elite are only going to get a serious look in if people are feeling less price sensitive.
OTOH for those walking in to a retailer thinking "I want the best console there is" then the field is wide open and it all comes down to what that person considers as the most important features of a console. I have my view on what the most important features are, others have a different view. I'd wager that if you took the console names off the table and did a blind survey more people would say that column B represented the better value for money.
Interestingly though it seems that only in some markets can this comparison really be made. Because in many markets the Elite will retail for less than the Slim.
“The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.” - Bertrand Russell
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."
Jimi Hendrix
