Sony Playstation 3 (40 GB) Console

For ages now people have been telling me that I should stay clear of the ps3 that the Xbox 360 was the way to go, But my mind was unchangeable I wanted a ps3 from the first moment, and I believe it is the right choice in the long run they may be a shortage of games in the Uk market but this will be a temporary problem and eventually the Xbox wont be able to keep up with the games on the ps3, Apparently Microsoft already had problems getting Assassins Creed onto there disc so it wont be long before the games don’t fit and your are forced to upgrade to an hd drive even then HD DVD's arent as big as Blu-Ray. Now once you have decided on purchasing a ps3 there are a few available options everyone tells you to buy the 60Gb if possible but I personally believe that the 40Gb is the better option. Here are the reasons people tell you to get a 60Gb and my thoughts on them.
1. You cant play ps2 games on the 40gb console.
well you cant play all ps2 games on the 60Gb either there is a list you need to check to see if the game will work. Also I still have a ps2 for ps2 games if I want, and let me ask one question when you bought your ps2 how many ps1 games did you ever play on it I know I never played one. PS1 games will work on any PS3 and are playable on your psp aswell through remote play

2. Its only 40Gb
It may only me 40 gb but that should be more than enuf to keep you going and the HD is fully upgradable people are putting 300-500gb HDs in there ps3's so is size really an issue, specially as HDs are so cheap nowadays.

3. It only has 2 usb Ports
How many do you really need at any one time, one charging a controller one with an external HD, and if you really do need more than 2 you can just plug a usb hub into one of the ports.

4.It doesn't have card readers
why would I need card readers on my ps3 I have a pc for that. But again if this is important to you you can purchase a usb card reader.

So these are the arguments for an against the 60gb and 40gb consoles but I have left one thing out that not many people know, the 2 consoles use different processors and the 40gb console has a quieter cooler more reliable cpu in than its 60Gb counterpart that is prone to overheating especially if you have a imported version of the 60gb console. So for this reason alone I believe people should buy the 40gb console Sony did stopmaking the 60Gb for a reason.

And on the Note of games if you fed up with the Uk releases you can buy your games from anywhere in the world as the ps3's games are region free and work in any ps3. Hope this helps Some of you out there

This is a great product! But it can be expensive! I'm glad I found www.ultimate-free-gifts.co.uk where I got mine for free :)

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To be fair, the actual hardware was never really going to be in much doubt. And after your first few hours in the company of the PlayStation 3, you're likely to be impressed.

Several initial thoughts went through my head. Firstly, the machine's really quite heavy. Secondly, aesthetically, it's really quite smart. And thirdly, and surprisingly, is that given the immense processing grunt under its glossy, buffed-up exterior, it's very quiet in operation. It certainly puts the Xbox 360 in the shade in that department, I know, I now have both.

When I switched on for the first time, following as simple a connection procedure as you'd expect with a games console, I signed up for the PlayStation Network and downloaded an advised, but not compulsory, update. This involved us getting the machine online, which was thankfully straightforward. A built-in wireless receiver or the Ethernet port at the back are your two choices, and we tried both, finding the machine adapted to either at breakneck speed. It's an extra £50 for the xbox 360 wireless connector...

The download and application of the upgrade took care of the first five minutes or so, but eventually we got to spend some time with the browser interface. This bears striking similarities to the one Sony employed with the PSP, and given that the two machines have a degree of interoperability, that's perhaps unsurprising.

It was interesting to note, going through the menu, just how Sony has made it easy to support elements you'd usually not expect it to be so welcoming of. The option for an OS install took us aback, and we were pleased to see the Folding@Home client built in too. But on top of that, the likes of keyboards, mice, Web-cams and such like - all of which can hook up via the assorted USB ports - are very easy to add.

Media support is well-rounded, too. That 40GB hard drive inside the machine can be filled with music files, for instance, and several codecs are supported. Likewise, there's Blu-ray and DVD playback. The former - the reason why the machine is so over deadline and so over budget - actually turns out to be a bit of a trump card. While we've not had the pleasure of many Blu-ray players, we're informed by colleagues who have that the PS3 is one of the finest, if not the very best, Blu-ray disc playback device on the market, to the point where many are picking up the PS3 for precisely that reason, rather than for its gaming prowess. It's aided - again, for the time being scoring a point over its Microsoft-produced rival - by the native inclusion of HDMI, meaning full 1080p output is well within the realms of the console (a new model of the Xbox 360 is expected to add this feature shortly).

But it's the games which ultimately will be the biggest influence in the rise or fall of the machine. But there's little doubt that the PS3 is capable of some incredibly impressive-looking games. Sony's track record should ensure that the shortage isn't a long-term one. There's also, of course, Sony's equivalent to Xbox Live Arcade, whereby games can be bought and downloaded onto the console online. A free game was available at launch and you can expect lots more, for sub-£10 price tags, in the future.

So I ummed and ahhed for some time about buying the PS3. Why?

1. Don't have enough time to play Games (full time teacher and Dad to be)
2. Heard it was very noisy (untrue!)
3. Did I really need it?

I have to say since owning it now for some time, it really is a truly remarkable piece of kit. Why?

1. The Blu Ray is fantastic. - Just make sure you buy the Blu Ray remote as it's difficult to convince your other half you haven't just bought a games console when operating the Blu Ray with a joystick! That's £200 saved on buying a decent Blu Ray player then (stand alone players don't upgrade themselves either unlike the PS3).

2. It has integrated wireless so no wires which is dead easy to set up. Make sure you have your WEP handy

3. There is a full media server inside so you can browse all your photos, music, videos via your router and which ever other computers you have in the house. Very important for justifying it to the wife when the wedding pics come up in all their glory on your flatscreen.

4. Use it as a DVD player and it automatically upscales the DVD to make them look even better.

5. It has a good Internet Browser built in and the BBC are shortly bringing the iPlayer to PS3.

6. It is constantly being updated and improved via tried and tested over the air updates.

7. It looks fantastic. All black and shiny like the monoliths from 2001 a Space Odyssey.

8. Noise? What noise?? A barely audible slight, very distant hum on occasion. The XBox360 Elite sounds like one of those small portable vacuum cleaners and is really annoying in comparison.

9. It offers full 1080p playback via my Panasonic flatscreen and looks incredible as a result.

10. The Play TV add on turns it into a full on Personal Video Recorder with upscaling. That's another £150 saved then.

11. Oh -the games. Fantastic. Little Big Planet is beautiful, FIFA '09 is better than watching Spurs (not really an endorsement to buy I suppose :-)) and who needs Lara when you've got Uncharted: Drake's Fortune.

12. If 80GB isn't bug enough then... Google PS3 Hard Drive Upgrade. Undo 6 Philips screws, slide out the old Hard Drive and insert a 320GB Notebook one for £60 from Amazon. Now you can back up everything and all those dodgy 80's Student videos you ripped from VHS to DVD!

13. PlayStation Network is improving and is Free. The new Home is just round the corner... downloadable films etc.. social networking etc..etc..

So buy yourself a PS3 and watch it develop into your all in one entertainment centre!

As you have probably seen, there are lots of people leaving reviews saying “Get a free (insert item)” I can confirm these are in fact legitimate. It’s simple, just sign up to a “freebie” site, complete one offer and refer some friends to do the same (you get your own link to dish out).

If you are interested in getting a Playstation 3 for free (free if you complete one of the free offers like the advertised Lovefilm trial) visit www.i-things.co.uk it will redirect to you “freebiejeebies” who I have had a fair few items from and I trust (hence me referring to them)

That’s www.i-things.co.uk

Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope this has helped you guys/girls.

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What I hated about this was the fact that I got scammed and lost my money to oglu79 - Paypal found in my favour but would not refund the money.
Finally I bought one and what a disappointment. Mine didn't have the rumble controller so that was an extra purchase and to be frank, it didn't rumble as well as PS2 or Xbox 360 ones do.
I prefer the Xbox 360 dashboard being more colourful and user friendly.
The mains gubbins is inside the PS3 and I found it got pretty hot, at least with the Xbox 360 the heat of the mains adapter is not inside it.
I hated having to load a game on to the hard drive before playing, this would seem to take ages.
Mine was the 40gb so I couldn't play my PS2 games but that was no loss as the graphics have moved on anyway. I don't consider the graphics on the PS3 to be all that hot compared to the 360 anyway - maybe I was expecting too much. Some of the games I had for both the 360 and PS3 (like Lost Planet) seemed better on the 360.
I couldn't use the stuff I had from the PS2 like steering wheels and such so a lot of tech gear is gathering dust.
Online play is free so this meant I was free to play when I liked. It was probably the only feature I liked as I hated the design of the PS3 and the shape seemed to make it awkward.
Talking of awkward, I have gotten to prefer the configuration of the controller on the 360.
I had hoped to be able to transfer stuff from PC to PS3 but maybe I didn't have it long enough to find this really effective.
Needless to say, I got rid and will be concentrating on the Xbox 360. Pity is, I have been loyal to Sony from the start with my PS1 through to PS2 but there is no room for sentiment in all of this.
Finally, the price differential is an important factor....yes I hate paying to go online with the 360 but the PS3 is way too dear probably because it tries to do too much all in one package.
For me, there is no contest - roll on Gears of War 2!!!!!

I bought the PS3 for my sons birthday and judging by the way I havn't seen him recently, I guess that he loves it..!!!!

As long as you have a good internet connection, this system is very good. It has had some lag when playing online but thats to be expected.

The system is fantastic, movies are brilliant, games are suppurb and it loads fast. You can use the internet but I would suggest getting a usb keyboard if you are going to.

had 360,wii,and ps2, this knocks all out,some 360 games come close,but for clarity and graphics,and even game chioces,this wins.
wii better for family and kids and party fun,ps3 better for gamers.

ggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg

Keeps my boyfriend occupied for hours, graphics and sound fantastic. Got myself an absolute bargain thank you.

OK so i've had a Wii since about Feb this year. It's a great machine with some good games, a few great games and a lot of rubbish. I decided to buy a PS3 to compliment the Wii after a lot of research comparing the PS3 to the Xbox 360. I finally settled on the PS3 for a number of reasons. The machine itself is very quiet you can hear the disc reading and thats about it. It comes with blu-ray so no need to buy a seperate player and playback on blu-ray is great, i've tried it with the movie 300. It's more reliable than a Xbox 360 at least from all the reviews i've read, hardly any mention any PS3 problems and the xbox 360 seems to be hit and miss, I personally know someone who is on to their fourth in a year but equally know someone else who's never had any problems with the Xbox so the build consistency seems suspect and I didn't want a machine that could potentially break down every few months. The PS3 machine itself runs reasonable cool as long as there's decent ventilation, even after a few hours its not hot at all. It's build quality is exceptional, it's solid, you could probably drop it and it would survive. It looks great in the living room. It's going to get DivX support soon. If you need more disk space, you can easily add a new hard disk and replace the existing one without invalidating your warranty. OK it doesn't have as many games as the Xbox 360 and most of the games are ported from the 360, however I think next year we'll see a change. It's got innovation like the Wii with tilt controller for driving games and the new eye cam. It's also cheaper than the Xbox360 if you want to add the Xbox's HD player to the package, plus blu-ray is Disney exclusive so for people with kids this format is probably essential.

In conclusion i'm glad I chose the PS3 over the Xbox and it does compliment my Wii as a different gaming experience, Fifa08 on the Wii is terrible but on the PS3 it's great, the Wii is more family fun, whereas the PS3 is great for online and solo play. Both machines are excellent in their own way, but I don't see the point of having a Xbox360 and a PS3 as they are too similar.

Who needs backwards compatibility? If you win the lottery you don't go out and buy a Ferrari to drive it like your old fiesta! If you like the PS2 games that much why buy this??
If on the other hand you are looking for HD gaming, Blue Ray DVD player, 40 GB hard disk for your movies, photos and music Wi Fi and wireless game play then please read on...
Straight out of the box its easy to set up and understand no complicated set up procedures just plug and play. If you have a PSP you will be instantly at home with the identical but more in depth menu screen, if you don't have a PSP don't worry its so simple Chimps could use it.
The wireless controller works well - it is charged with a USB cable supplied though occasionally you do have to give the buttons a good firm press.
The cheeky monkeys at Sony don't provide you with a HDMI lead instead they charge you for the privelege of making the most of this gaming masterpiece. So spend the £12.99 and put it down to experience, they'll tell you in the shop its 3 metres long but in the shop its 2 metres so if you have a wall mounted TV make sure you take this into account - also make sure your rear mounting panel doen't obscure your HDMI connection in any way as the lead sticks out quite a way.
The PS3 is superbly built with touch sensitive operating buttons and two USB ports at the front for adding hardware.
If you thought you were going to download your Itunes collection on to this think again, unless you have downloaded your own CD's on to I Tunes you wont get the songs across as I Tunes encrypts the files purchased from its site so you can't transfer it across. I am most disgusted to hear that certain major search engines promote relatively easy hacks that will allow you to take the encryption out of the file and load it onto your PS3, remember this is illegal....don't do it.
The games are simply astonishing - if you are upgrading from a SinclairZX or Amiga 500 you will be blown away its like watching a movie sometimes. call of Duty 4 modern warfare is simply majestic you feel like you are there you feel like you are a member of the SAS the rate this thing processes the games is simply awesome its so quick and the 1080 screen shots are simply out of this world. Kicks the X Box 360 into touch and then some...bring on Gran Turismo 5...
Now they have cut the prices to take advantage of Nintendo's screw up this Christmas you can happily pick up one with 2 games for 299 or with three for 349, don't forget that you will need the HDMI lead, possibly another controller oh and the most understanding wife in the world or a good divorce lawyer....

For a start, sony spend over £800 making the 60GB consoles meaning they are loosing money, and now the 40GB is out and for a lot cheaper. The Wii is 200 ruffly, therefore for an extra £100 your getting better games graphics and a better overall console. I think this is a great product and would reccomend to all people!!

thanks ...MK

I have always like the idea of owning a Playstation 3 but was unwilling to part with my XBOX360.
I am still undecided when it comes to the graphics as both systems can support 1080I/P HD modes and some gaming companies design for certain consoles but the free online multi player experience & Blu-Ray drive as finally won over my decision.

Although the PS3 has been very expensive to purchase although justified considering what it can do, I am very happy with finding a 2nd hand bargain for under £200.

Feature comparison as standard…. The Xbox360 doesn’t come with hard drive or free online gaming or wireless built in, which the PS3 does and now we know the hard drives in the PS3 can be expanded to 250-320GB in a simple process its worth hunting around the auctions.

Another review by 170decibels gives a more detail review on the comparisons of other PS3 models and well worth the read.

The only down fall is the media centre part, but it can’t be worse the Xbox360 attempt at the media centre market, I don’t know if it’s me but I was expecting more in this area but can’t complain it plays Divx’s, avi, & mp4 its only the connectivity I have an issue with not the playing functions.

Overall a great bit of kit sat next to my HDTV and well worth departing with my beloved 360 for.

Great unit, only let down by lack of memory card reader & extra usb slots. prefer shiny chrome facia of 60gb & 60gb plays ps2 games (which doesnt bother me but i know alot of people need this, hence why I sold mine!)

I was reluctant to purchase a console through ebay but I can honestly say that this was well worth buying.
The console worked perfectly and a month later we are still really happy with it. In addition, the seller provided excellent advice and support to help us get up and running with internet access.

Once you have bought a PS3, you don't have to pay for on-line play, updates or anything it's all free. You can roam around Playstation home, buy games and download demos. however if you want to splash some cash there are plenty of accessories to tickle your fancy. It's also very stylish with everything in a sleek black. However the diversity of games in decreasing on Playstation and so X-Box takes the lead on games with Halo and a huge range of games and add-on games especially for X-Box only, whereas Playstation are selling the rights of most of their games to Microsoft. A great console with future-proof technology.

To be fair to Sony, the actual hardware was never really going to be in much doubt. And after your first few hours in the company of the PlayStation 3, you're likely to be impressed.

Several initial thoughts went through this reviewer's head. Firstly, the machine's really quite heavy. Secondly, aesthetically, it's really quite smart. And thirdly, and surprisingly, is that given the immense processing grunt under its glossy, buffed-up exterior, it's very quiet in operation. It certainly puts the Xbox 360 in the shade in that department.

When we switched on for the first time, following as simple a connection procedure as you'd expect with a games console, we signed up for the PlayStation Network and downloaded an advised, albeit not compulsory, update. This involved us getting the machine online, which was thankfully straightforward. A built-in wireless receiver or the Ethernet port at the back are your two choices, and we tried both, finding the machine adapted to either at breakneck speed.

The download and application of the upgrade took care of the first five minutes or so, but eventually we got to spend some time with the browser interface. This bears striking similarities to the one Sony employed with the PSP, and given that the two machines have a degree of interoperability, that's perhaps unsurprising.

It was interesting to note, going through the menu, just how Sony has made it easy to support elements you'd usually not expect it to be so welcoming of. The option for an OS install took us aback, and we were pleased to see the Folding@Home client built in too. But on top of that, the likes of keyboards, mice, Web-cams and such like - all of which can hook up via the assorted USB ports - are very easy to add.

Media support is well-rounded, too. That 60GB hard drive inside the machine can be filled with music files, for instance, and several codecs are supported. Likewise, there's Blu-ray and DVD playback. The former - the reason why the machine is so over deadline and so over budget - actually turns out to be a bit of a trump card. While we've not had the pleasure of many Blu-ray players, we're informed by colleagues who have that the PS3 is one of the finest, if not the very best, Blu-ray disc playback device on the market, to the point where many are picking up the PS3 for precisely that reason, rather than for its gaming prowess. It's aided - again, for the time being scoring a point over its Microsoft-produced rival - by the native inclusion of HDMI, meaning full 1080p output is well within the realms of the console (a new model of the Xbox 360 is expected to add this feature shortly).

The games, which ultimately will be the biggest influence in the rise or fall of the machine, we'll look at in a separate review. But there's little doubt that the PS3 is capable of some incredibly impressive-looking games. There's no obvious outright classic available as this review was written, nor a clear one on the horizon, but Sony's track record should ensure that the shortage isn't a long-term one. There's also, of course, Sony's equivalent to Xbox Live Arcade, whereby games can be bought and downloaded onto the console online. A free game was available at launch and you can expect lots more, for sub-£10 price tags, in the future.

So it all leads to point one: price. Sony is, infamously, making a heavy loss on each unit sold at the moment too, which may yet tie its hands for future price cuts.

Dear sir / madam
This review gives me the opportunity to report you a problem with this item.
First of all I’ve never bought a ps3. I took place in a lottery by paying the seller 2 BP.
A day after, the item removed from the ebay and of course my 2 BP as well as the BP’s of other ebay members (thousands? Millions? Who knows?) were disappeared!
I must confess that I and two other friends we knew that the whole thing was a fake but we took place in the lottery just for fun.
Talking seriously I think that ebay must avoid situations like this, taking more care, responsibility and support to its customers (buyers).

Best Regards
Apostolos Kolovos (apostolos72, apko@in.gr)

You can trust this seller with expensive items.

Payed my money and got my ps3 straight away.

Wrestled with my tv and POW!!! runs like magic, Thanks again Dave.

The PS3 is the coolest console on the planet, I have the built in HDD , BLU ray player, and not to mention the games.