slim

Back in 2004, four years after first launching the PlayStation 2, Sony brought out a new, much more compact PS2. Timed to come out just as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was hitting stores, the redesigned console helped breath new life into the PS2 franchise. It remains on store shelves today--you can pick one up for just $99.

Needless to say, Sony hopes that a trimmed-down--and less expensive--PS3 Slim will similarly invigorate sales of the PlayStation 3, which has lagged behind the Nintendo Wii and the Microsoft Xbox 360 and has taken some of the luster off the PlayStation brand (… Read more

For most of Blu-ray's existence, the PlayStation 3 has easily been the best value in home theater. Only recently have we reviewed Blu-ray players that come close to matching its performance, speed, and functionality, while costing about the same amount.

The $300 PS3 Slim changes the marketplace considerably. Standalone Blu-ray players that offer similar performance to the PS3, like the LG BD390 and Samsung BD-P3600, used to offer some savings over PS3, but now they actually cost a little more. How can these standalone players expect us to pay more?

The standalone players have a few points in their … Read more

On today's show, we've got Vienna Teng--singer, pianist, and former computer programmer. But before we get to her music, we have the PS3 Slim in the studio. Afterward, we talk to Vienna about her journey from software engineer at Cisco to touring musician.

At the top of the show, we do a little unboxing of the new PlayStation 3 Slim. While Vienna and Justin may not care too much about the game console, Jeff and Wilson don't particularly like its new finish. In almost all respects, however, it functions just like the original 80GB model that it replaces, plus it comes with a 120GB hard drive. (No Linux for those homebrew fans out there.)

The star of the show is Vienna, a singer, songwriter, and pianist from the San Francisco Bay Area who graduated from Stanford University. Vienna later took up a job at Cisco as a computer programmer and made the leap to musician during her time there. We end the first half of the show with a track from her first album "Waking Hour," called "Gravity." The song is about the ups and downs of her roommate's relationship.

On the second half of the show, we listen to her song "Radio" from her current album "Inland Territory." And we talk about how now one in four songs sold in the United States is through iTunes. Finally, we end the show with her song "Augustine." You can find her music on iTunes, Amazon, MySpace, Last.fm, and her own Web site. (Editor's note: Last.fm is a part of CBS Interactive, which also publishes CNET.)

… Read more

With all the buzz around the new "slim" version of Sony's PlayStation 3, you'd think Sony had an exciting new product on its hands, rather than a slightly smaller, somewhat cheaper version of the existing PS3 (and without any significant new features, or even the return of PS2 backward-compatibility).

If, like us, you've become addicted to the high-definition joy of Blu-ray movies, but your gaming tastes run more toward World of Warcraft, Sims 3, or even Plants vs. Zombies, we suggest taking a look at one of these Blu-ray equipped laptops, such as the Sony … Read more

The PS3 Slim is now a reality. The compact console will be available on September 1 for $299. Our review sample just arrived, and our hands-on evaluation will follow soon. We don't expect any real performance departures from the current console--the changes are more cosmetic than anything else. In the meantime, we've got Brian Tong's hands-on video on the PS3 Slim (above), along with a quick mini-FAQ on the new PS3 (below). If you have a question that's not addressed here, put it in the comments, and we'll do our best to find an answer.

When can I get the new PS3 Slim?It'll be widely available as of September 1 for $299.

What are the major physical differences between the new PS3 Slim and the previous versions of the PS3?Sony has pretty much crammed the same hardware into a smaller form factor. The new chassis is thinner vertically and horizontally, but it is deeper than the previous PS3--it's almost a square. The front power and eject buttons are now actual, depressable keys (not touch-sensitive), and there's also no standby power switch on the console's rear panel.

Are there any notable feature differences?The new model has a 120GB hard drive, up from the 80GB model on the previous entry-level model. Geeks will lament that Sony has removed the ability to install a second operating system, but that won't be missed by the vast majority of mainstream users.

Does it play PS2 games?… Read more

On today's podcast we talk to CNET executive editor David Carnoy about the newly announced PlayStation 3 Slim from Sony. It may be smaller and cheaper than the older model, but is it missing features?

We also talk about iTunes market share, lawsuits against Facebook and Twitter, and one of the largest data breaches in U.S. history.

Today's stories:

$299 PS3 Slim unveiled at Sony GamesCom briefing

iTunes reps 1 in every 4 songs sold in U.S.

Users file privacy lawsuit against Facebook

Budget PC brands see biggest gains in consumer satisfaction

Three men indicted in largest U.S. data breach… Read more

Updated coverage: Read CNET's full review of the PS3 Slim

Sony on Tuesday finally took the wraps off the much-rumored PS3 Slim and gave it the more affordable $299 price tag consumers have been clamoring for.

Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kaz Hirai performed the unveiling at a press conference in Cologne, Germany, preceding the opening of the Gamescom Expo. He took the stage and announced the PS3 was "getting a new model" and that, indeed, it was called the PS3 Slim.

The Slim is hitting stores September 1 in North America and Europe and will cost $299 (or for those who live in regions, 299 euros or 29,980 yen). Hirai says the device has the same features and functions as the "old" PS3 but is 33 percent smaller, 36 percent lighter, and comes with a 120GB hard drive. (See photo comparison here).

Sony says that to achieve the new form factor, the internal design architecture of the new PS3 system has been completely redesigned--"from the main semiconductors and power supply unit to the cooling mechanism."

The PS3 Slim is powered by a new 45nm version of the Cell processor, which runs at the same speed as the 60nm processor in the "old" PS3 but is smaller and more energy efficient. According to company reps, power consumption for the Slim has also been cut to two-thirds, "helping to reduce fan noise," which is important.

On the cosmetic front, this model has a textured surface finish that gives the PS3 a fresh, casual look that the company hopes will make it more appealing to a wider audience (read: casual gamers). As previously rumored, the PS3 logo has undergone a redesign and Sony's changing the PS3 brand name from "PLAYSTATION 3" to "PlayStation 3" (we've actually been calling it the PlayStation 3 for a while).

Like the 80GB and 160GB models, the 120GB PS3 Slim has built-in Wi-Fi and two USB ports (sorry, Sony didn't add IR or backwards compatibility for PS2 games). You can also upgrade/replace the hard drive without voiding the warranty, though Sony has moved the hard drive from the side of the unit to the front for "easier access." (To remove the hard drive, you simply unscrew two screws). The one feature missing from the Slim is the ability to install another operating system (i.e., Linux)--Sony is doing away with that feature. … Read more