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"Great multipurpose gaming and media device"
on by Scott GardenerPros Media capabilities make it great even for people who don't play games, killer tech specs, standardized rather than proprietary components, sturdy and reliable track record
Cons Contributions to global warming are felt within minutes of use, would have been nice to have included an HDMI cable
Summary I have really great friends; one of them gave me this console on the day after Thanksgiving. Not even Christmas, mind you, but Black Friday. Just gave me one... Wow.
The first thing I noticed upon unboxing it was familiar desktop and laptop computer parts; the SIXAXIS controller had not some weird Sony proprietary parts, but an ordinary USB cord, with a standard small end and big end. My research beforehand also showed that even the hard drive is a standard laptop SATA drive; if I wanted to, I could swap it out for a 250 Gig Western Digital drive, just like the one I put in the laptop I'm using to write this review. Sony did a complete 180 degree on this, as their historic use of proprietary parts instead of interchangable components is legendary. (The PS3's sibling PSP's reliance on UMD and Memory Stick instead of regular SD cards, as well as limited support for common video formats, was a deal breaker.) I'm really glad to see Sony changing its ways here. The USB ports have great plug-and-play capabilities, too; I plugged in a standard USB keyboard and without any additional buttons to push could type entries on registration forms and name blanks.
My console came with the game "Motorstorm," which is a fun racing game, but I got a better taste of the true capabilities of this console when my already nice friend also threw in "Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction." Playing the first level showed off both the rendering capabilities of the cell processor itself and some of the fun gadgetry capabilities of the console, such as the motion-sensing controller. I know, it's not the same as the Wii's tennis and bowling prowess, but it's still cool to control a character through motion wirelessly with a handheld controller.
The menu-driven interface is convenient and simple, making this device, as powerful as it is, accessible to novices as well as experts. However, the former might have a hard time getting used to PlayStation controller conventions. Since I'm not myself a heavy gamer, aside from the visual shock of going into a seventh generation console, I did have to get used to using a game controller to navigate system settings such as wireless networking or to browse an online store.
But, even people who never play a video game may want this console for its remarkable media capabilities. Aside from being one of the cheaper and yet one of the better Blu-Ray consoles, a firmware update recently also made it one of the best 1080p upscaling DVD players. Coupled with a user-replacable hard drive and USB expansion ports, one could use it as a digital media hub. (Granted, the remote control is sold seperately and is bluetooth-based, meaning adapting a universal remote means going with third party infrared work-arounds). User replacability of the hard drive aside, I still recommend this console over the 40 Gig for media purposes because of both the extra two USB ports and the memory card readers--both Memory Stick and SD, and even CF are included. (For gamers, I would absolutely insist on this in lieu of the 40 Gig model because of the lack of PS2 reverse compatability in the latter. My wanting to play "Okami" was a reason for rejecting the 40 Gig Spidy 3 version in my research even before my friend got wind of my interest in this console.)
Another selling point for the PlayStation 3 is that its hardware is durable and sturdy. Early models of the XBox 360 are having enough problems with permanant failure that they have their own special name for it. (Not a good thing for Microsoft, which is still recovering from a reputation created by the legacy of Windows 98.) The internal power rather than an extra transformer brick is nice. That said, one should note that the console tends to warm up the room pretty quickly when it's on. The high end inards also tend to need more wattage, making this the most power-hungry of the new gaming consoles, or for that matter any gaming console short of a Falcon Northwest Mach V with rediculously unneccessary extra GeForce 8850 graphics cards stuffed in for bragging rights. But, you have the console itself to remind you to plant a tree to offset its carbon footprint, by raising the temperature of your own environment a few degrees.
All in all, its a superb piece of hardware. It's a killer game console that, while lacking very many of its own titles, can play a lot of PS2 titles (if you make sure to get the right one; for you die-hards, you might want to backtrack and look for the 60 Gig model that achieves PS2 backwards compatibility by having rather than hardware emulation a tiny, shrunken down little PS2 physically stuffed inside) until the gaming industry catches up. It doubles as a Blu-Ray player, and its Cell processor's multithreaded nature makes it one of the best 1080p DVD upscaling systems out there. It triples as a hard drive media player that, with minimal work and a trip to Best Buy, could hold over 200 Gigs worth of mp3s, videos, and pictures. And, appearantly soon it will quadruple as an online social networking tool that, unlike the XBox 360, doesn't require a monthly fee. (I'll have to see whether or not that works out.) If you're building a bleeding edge home theater system, it's almost a must--if you're going to spend $500 on a Blu-Ray player, why not get the one that also has a built-in hard drive and just happens to play games like there's no tomorrow? -
"This thing has replaced my computer and is good as one... but it sin't the best game system yet"
on by chillax68Pros exactly like a computer you can add a printer keyboard mouse and even an av or hdmi monitor
Cons not many good games you will find yourself constantly playing ps2 games
Summary this thing is great but I feel as if it should have been released as a computer or an entertainment hub... or even a ps4 it's just to advanced it takes alot of power to replace my hp, and it did it is better than most pc's out their and i have mine working on the Linux yellow dog platform made exclusively for the ps3. I even have programs such as lime wire, a windows emulator and even a word processor of which i have used already to turn in an assignment. Now I also own a wii which has a more advanced web browser and better games but does not come close to the ps3's power. The ps3 even has the ability to burn cd's, rip off of memory cards in its media bay and than even import videos photos and music to another memory stick.
curaintly i am using orb on my pc and it can even stream from that automatically which is kind of creepy if you don't know about that when you first sign into your wifi network it kind of just hacks your computer... without me pressing a button it had my pics music and videos ready to view... which i must say is slightly dangerous.
I would have given it a ten if it didn't have all of these computer like features i gave it a 9 cause it tries to hard it does everything except cook and tuck you in at night. It is just not the awesome game system my brawling wii and bioshock360 are.
now i don't want to say that its terrible but it is good because of its graphics but without the graphics it is just another game system which it kind of isn't. If your looking for innovation get a freaking wii along with galaxy and brawl if your looking for shooters with good graphics look for 360 if your looking for an entertainment hub that is sure to replace almost every thing but your surround sound system and hdtv get a ps3.
It's pros are it's cons it is too advanced to be a game system and the fact that you can connect a keyboard, mouse, printer, internal and external hard drive, Linux yellow dog, windows emulators, blue tooth technology and the promise of keeping up to date via firmware upgrades aka service packs. The ps3 should have been sold as a mac and pc killer not a game system.
p.s if you plan to use it as your new pc here are some tips on what you might need a hard drive isn't really needed if you have the 80gig.
ps3 logitech bluetooth media board $80
(this thing is in all in one mouse and keyboard it's wireless so it's great for travel and having a laptop pad mouse in place of the number pad usually found on normal keyboards is genius and works excellent)
120gig hard drive $100
(this is very optional if you have an 80gig ps3 but once you connect to psn and start downloading videos photos and music online you are going to start taking up all that space)
sony bluray dvd remote $25.00
(only sony brand and because of the controllers odd control of video playback this is super useful)
Play station eye $70.00
(If you are a mac user this will serve as your new photo booth with much more advanced features way better quality than the mac photbooth and even makes games more intuitive while it isn't a wii it is pretty cool and the camera effects will keep you entertained for a bit)
bluetooth headset
(super optional at this point because at the moment only a handful of games use headsets to communicate but as of later this year a little known thing called home is coming out were it is exactly like real life in the way of communication although you can use voice emotes and a keyboard you can use your headset to speak also.)
and last but definetly not least it's the cheapest most monitor like 1080p screen you will ever lay your eyes on it's gotten wonderful reviews and almost no major complaints
The scepter x20wg-1080p black 20.1 $190.00
(this thing is awesome it has better quality than alot of tv's i have seen it is low priced and not only does it look like a monitor but it is one with the functionality of being used as a normal computer monitor also and man when i tell you windows in 1080p it is impossible not to have a geekgasm their have been some complaints of led bleeding when the screen is all black like in a movie transition or blackout but I have not seen anything as of now another con is the monitor is only available from newegg.com and takes 3 days to arrive but it is worth the wait)
i hope this review is helpful in your purchase.
innovation and fun: wii
shooters good graphics:360
Media hub and pc replacement
s3 -
"PS3 is the best gaming console and Blu-ray player"
on by lionel-leonPros PS3 plays every game in full high definition. I highly recommend this console for gaming and Blu-ray movie watching. I recommend you to check out http://www.squidoo.com/best-blu-ray-player for information on what is the best Blu-ray player this year.
Cons I can't think of one.
Summary I recommend it for gaming and Blu-ray movie watching at full high definition.
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"Does Everything Well"
on by dkmiPros Lots of Hardware for the Money
Cons Missing Some Basic Necessities
Summary Never been much of a gamer. My last system was a Sega Genesis 16 that was bought to play EA's NHL games.
What drove me to this purchase? My wife. She got hooked on Guitar Hero at a party. Now, I know that Guitar Hero is available on cheaper systems, but I didn't want to invest in yesterday's technology. Still, it took some research before I finally settled on the PS3. I'm glad that I did.
Out of the box, the system was fairly easy to setup. What puzzled me though was the lack of connectors for HD. Whether you want to connect using HDMI or Component cables, you are going to have to purchase these separately. The component cables will be proprietary for the PS3 while the HDMI cable it uses is standard. Everything about this console is high-end graphics and Blu-ray, yet the supplied connectors won't get you any better than 480p. HDMI cables aren't expensive. Contrary to what sales people at big-box stores will tell you, a $5 HDMI cable will perform just as well as a $100 one. The problem is that you'll have to go online to find the $5 cable.
Once I got my system connected properly, setting it up was fairly straight forward. We purchased the 80GB model because we felt that it was worth $100 to get twice the disk space, WiFi, the card readers, and compatibility with most PS2 games. The WiFi was as easy to get connected as any laptop. Once connected, the system downloaded an update, and within a few moments we were in business.
The system came with MotorStorm (an off-road racing game) and it blew me away. It's amazing the power you get for $500. A $500 PC would never be able to run a game like this. I can't wait to check out other titles.
From what I've seen, an Xbox 360 has similar games that look equally as stunning. So, why get the PS3? The Blu-ray player is what got me. I've been waiting for the HD video disk format war to end before investing in a player. Now my investment is somewhat protected because if Blu-ray loses the format war, I still have a terrific game console. If you own an HD television and have been limited to the HD experience via cable and satellite, you need to take a look at a Blu-ray demo. It's night and day better than the compressed HD you'll get from broadcasters. And the Blu-ray player can upconvert your standard DVD's to make them look pretty close to HD. I've seen other upconverting DVD players, and they don't perform as well as this one. You'll need to shell out $25 for a remote for playing Blu-ray movies. There is no infrared port on the unit, so the remote must be Bluetooth. You can use the Sixaxis controller, but you'll tire of it's limitations quickly.
Another cool thing is the media reader. We had the family over for Christmas. Everyone was taking pictures with their digital cameras. We used the PS3 to view pictures as a group. I saved the good ones that I wanted to have right to my PS3's hard drive.
I can't tell you that a PS3 is superior to an Xbox or a Wii. There are too many variables. As a full featured entertainment system, the PS3 gets the nod in my book. -
"Wanted An Xbox Glad I got a Playstation"
on by Hallsie11Pros Excellent Graphics, Easy to Connect
Cons No USB in back, Navigation of Options can be difficult
Summary I did all the research and was planning on buying a XBox 360 but ended up with a Playstation 3 due to my decision that Blu - Ray will win. I am now glad that I did that. It upconverts well and even my home copied DVD's look better. The games are catching on, but I now dedicate less time to gaming due to graduating from college. The only thing that bothers my very OCD self is that I hate to stick a memory stick in the front and leave the top sticking up. Looks tacky and just bothers me. Other than that, No problems whatsoever and have been pleasantly surprised.
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