Other than unproven reliability and a person's opinion on which one they think looks nicer, you reasons don't really hold much weight IMO.

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).

Your Thread is nothing but your wild assumptions. There's no real evidence here.

Much like watching a pretty woman undress after waiting 3 years for her to do it. :p you savor every moment

It only lasts a year. Some problems might not become apparent until the end of said time, and if warrantys mattered but dependability didn't, then the RRoD was the best thing to happen to MS, like, ever.

2/3rds less power than what?

I'm not sure that quote is comparing the console to a modern PS3 phat. I think the power usage between a new phat and a slim is much closer than that.

@bolded

Bingo!

If I had evidence for my opinion, it would be a fact.

That said, everybody knows that most consoles have had launch bugs and early issues that required revision. There is no reason to think it would be any different this time.

I don't have any evidence that some day everyone we know will die, but it's a fairly commonly held assumption, which has proven itself true time and time again.

I don't think anything about my assumptions are wild. I think a more appropriate term is "probable."

I mean, it's not like I'll get any awards for predicting the future if this thing happens. Do you?

3 & 7 common, the original PS3 phat had all new tech which was unproven, like Blu-ray and CELL, and yet the PS3 was a solid reliable machine. Don't forget that Sony is a hardware company, and they know to well how extreme hardware failures hurt, as well as knowing that they can't fuck up now in regards to hardware since their in 3rd position.

So given all of that I reckon the Slim will be as reliable as the Phat PS3 if not more because it'll run cooler, and heat is the major enemy of electronics so with less heat, come less break downs in general, so no one should worry about it really.

PS3 Phat is sold out in my local area.

That's:
4x Best Buys
2x Gamestops
1x EB games
3x Fry's

2x Wal-Mart

1x K-Mart

3x Target

Yeah, I called them all asking if they were $299.99 and they said "Yes, but we ran out of stock today." My cousin had to drive 35min away just to get 1 from a Best Buy that had 2 left in stock.