Sony PLAYSTATION 3 Console (80 GB Model)

I'm probably preaching to the converted with this review, but it is an awesome bit of kit. It's a bargain. I know that seems hard to believe, what with the £289 price tag, but for what you get and for what it does, it is amazing. I notice how a lot of the reviews tend to focus on the fact that you don't even have to own a game to get the most from it. And you don't. In fact, you could forget that it plays games at all. Make sure you get yourself a HD viewing source, even if it is just a monitor. There are ways and means of connecting to flat panel monitors, and it worked fine with my Samsung SM226BW with a HDMI to DVI adapter and JVC stereo with phono inputs. I have recently upgraded to a 40" Sony Bravia. You can tell this was the way the developers wanted you to use the console, it is droolworthy. First impressions: lovely, slick looking bit of kit, futuristic "buttons" (they don't depress, I think they work like laptop touchpads) and a slick slot-load disc drive, like your car stereo. It runs very quietly, even with a disc inserted and the lights are in-obtrusive in the dark. It seems to have also come with a dust magnet installed, which can be a nuisance. Most people here have already gone into some of the features, but there are some less well known ones. You can install Linux, so it transforms it into a desktop PC, which works excellently, especially on your big TV in the lounge. I used OpenOffice for something I was using for work and emailed it fine using Firefox. I'm using YDL 6.1. Most peripherals for your PC will work, like some webcams, usb keyboards, mice and USB hubs. The console only comes with 2 ports, but I have upped mine to 8 with no problems at all. Using the internet browser, if you find something you want to print, you can try installing your home printer and printing to it. I have a HP Photosmart 2570 connected via the router, I had no hopes it would work, but it did perfectly. Genius. One thing that doesn't seem to get a mention is the music player that will actually import audio CDs to MP3! But it doesn't stop there. You can then insert any USB pen drive (so long as its not in NTFS format, but in FAT32) and copy it to play on your PC! You can even play it on your XBox. For a company fighting music piracy law suits, it's an extraordinary feature. JPEG quality is amazing and significantly better than the XBox. Even my mum noticed the difference. There is no difference between the two for films, but if I found a movie that wouldn't run on the XBox, it would work fine on the PS3. It also runs downloaded HD content very well, so I can watch HD episodes of Lost on the PS3 after converting them to mpeg, which is no hassle at all (takes 30 seconds with a program I found). XBox refuses to play them. I think some people think that the disk size of 80gb is final, but not so. The disk pops out extremely easily, it is a Sata150 Laptop hard drive, and the new one pops in without a problem. My system is currently 320gb for an extra £30. Also Blu-Ray, web browser, yaddyaddyada. If you have a HD TV in the lounge, get it. People who slate this console usually do because it doesn't play PS2 games, but I don't want to play PS2 games anymore. I have a PS2 for that! Some people are fiercely pro-microsoft for some reason, and for whatever reason don't like the console. I have both systems, and this one is my favourite for the features, games and media I want to play. If you want to only play games, get an XBox. If you want a serious, grown-up bit of kit that also plays games, get a PS3. There is a price difference for a reason, you know...

The 3 way race between Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony is well and truly underway with the Wii, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 respectively fighting for the trophy of best games console. Having had experience playing the Wii and the Xbox 360 I have to say I wasn't too impressed with the Wii and the controller of the Xbox 360 is, in my opinion, too chunky and doesnt even compare to Sony's brilliant controller. Added the fact that you are forced to pay to play online with the Xbox, buying Sony's masterpiece was a no-brainer. First of all Id like to thank Amazon for a very quick delivery of this item and if you're thinking of buying this console, get it from amazon. The delivery times are excellent and the packaging is top-notch to secure this expensive piece of hardware from damages. The first impressions you'll have with this is how heavy the playstation is. After connecting the cables up and switching the console on for the first time you'll be delighted to know this console is very quiet and after a quick set-up (and I do mean quick, wont take longer than 10 minutes) you're ready to go. The set-up guides you through the basics ie. name etc. including optional (but recommended) extras including internet connection and signing up to the Playstation network. The menu is impressive and if the artwork doesnt take your fancy you can always download new ones (for free) from the playstation network to change the theme of the menu. However, with all the positives this gem of a console offers, some people may be put off by the hour long system upgrade and installation times of games uploaded onto the harddrive. Regardless, the games are top notch and the options on the menu are overwhelming including a system backup, reformatting the harddrive to improve speed and playing and uploading videos and music onto the console. Overall, the Playstation 3 is miles ahead of the competition in my opinion and with an excellent controller made even sweeter by the inclusion of rumble and blue-tooth, meaning you can use it wireless, makes this a must-have console for hardware junkies looking for the next big thing. If anyone's wondering why the Xbox 360 has been reduced to 129.99 this console is the reason why. With xmas just around the corner, PS3 sales are looking to go up which means big trouble for rival companies but with such an impressive console such as this, its worth every penny.

Cercavo una console per mio figlio, anche se non di ultimissima generazione, e ho scelto questa. Soddisfatto dell'acquisto (mio figlio ancora di più); l'articolo è completo e perfettamente funzionante. L'unico appunto che faccio ad Amazon e al venditore è quello relativo alla scarsa chiarezza sulle condizioni dell'oggetto; non mi aspettavo che l'oggetto fosse usato! Inoltre il confezionamento è risultato piuttosto approssimativo (una scatola di cartone anonima con un imballaggio abbastanza adeguato al contenuto...). Perché mostrate una confezione originale Sony se già sapete che non arriverà in quello stato? Sapete benissimo che il cliente si aspetta di ricevere ciò che ha visto in foto... Peccato. Tutto il resto è ok!