[sdrotar]

To me, it has nothing to do with cost - just the system's potential.
Hard drives do a lot more then just speed up loading times when they're utilized well.

Early adopters of any technology - including consoles - know they're going to pay more for it. C'est la vie. The price ($399) doesn't sound unreasonable to me given the package... until I realize that, like Fossen said, I'm now essentially buying a 20GB memory card instead of a integral part of a system that furthers it's potential.

If Microsoft comes in with an Xbox that's $200 cheaper than the PS3 (which is entirely possible at $299 to a likely $499), then I'm sure it'll really help their sales. But in the long run, they won't have a distinct technical edge at all - no hard drive, no next-gen DVD - and Sony's got the name recognition to outlast them.

I understand the decision, but I fear that it may be short-sighted.