So there are more broken PS3s out there, tons of replacement parts from broken systems, tons of videos, tutorials and websites with countless users all having discussions about how they fixed their systems and that doesn't prove that more systems are breaking?

I don't understand what kind of proof you want.

We will never know the numbers or specific details, so this is all we have to go on.

I certainly don't think that Sony would do it intentionally, but I do think that they still have optics issues. I have to admit that being without a PS2 (I am not buying a third) and being on my 2nd PS3, I do think that there are QC issues at Sony. However, I do not believe it to be intentional. As others have said - it would be foolish and risky for Sony to do anything of the kind.

Well rumor and sepculation do not equal fact, so as I said before, there is no proof.

I got an original PS2 about 2 years after launch. Despite the host of people complaining about it breaking down or the laser not reading games after a certain time period, mine still works. After thousands of hours of game time.

Its just like any console. A certain percentage have a chance of breaking. And frankly, its the XBOX360 that has the bigger problem with that.

No way there is a predetermined life expectancy. The launch systems I know of are:

my 60gig = works perfectly
my girlfriend has a 20gb = works perfectly
3 of my friends have 20gb = works perfectly
my brothers 60gb = works perfectly
my bosses 20gb = works perfectly

only one that had a problem was my g/f brother's 60gb launch. Everything works exactly like it is supposed to except that the mem readers wont read (tho I dont know anyone who has every actually used theirs)

NO

thats exactly what happened to mine,had to get it fixed,it stopped playing dvd's aswell eventually,

mine was 60gb,i bet all they did was clean the lenses or something for  £100...lol

Why is no one reading this thread properly I said it only applies to original PS3's as not even I know the failure rate of the new Slim, all I know is that on here we have had quite few failures alone.
Even if new Slims are bought we cannot bring this into the argument, as as stated only original PS3's, I wonder how many original PS3's have failed in reality now.. It makes me sad.
It may well be just down to technology, like you said, I am very aware of this fact even before I posted this.
And just for the record I own:
1. Original PSX - still working
2. Original PS2 - still working
3. Original PS3 - very poorly and only three years old!

My 60 GB is running perfectly since early 2007 when I got it. I sure hope it can hang on these next couple of weeks though (FF13 is coming). The only thing that many times wouldn't work is the browser - where I had to force shut down the console. Other than that, it's worked near flawlessly.