ok guys I felt that people were getting confused about the different ps3 models so I decided to post a chart that should clear things up about the current and past ps3
and here's a comparison of software emulation of ps2 games compared to hardware emulation
60gb
80gb
Hope this clears things up with people
EDIT: UNIT-01 has found some more great information on the web that I think should be added to the list.
http://www.edepot.com/playstation3.htmlTake a look there's a bunch of good information there.
Here's how to get a ps3 for cheap and it has been proven by me
If you want to do a cheap way I can tell you how but you will have to wait a month or so. Here's how
-Buy a broken ps3 on ebay (make sure it's not broken because of water damage and it has the serial sticker still on it). You can usually get a broken 60gb for about $100-150 maybe cheaper
-Call up sony (800-222-7669)
Say agent; at prompt say agent; at prompt press 1; at prompt press 1.
^ how to bypass the phone system and get a human fast
-Tell them you have a ps3 you need fixed. They will tell you it's an out of warranty repair (that's what it is)
-They will tell you it will cost $150+tax to fix it
-Pay
-Wait for the box to arrive at your house
-Pack and ship the box back to sony (it's prepaid)
-Wait 2-3 weeks for sony to fix it and send it back. (actually it's more like 1-2 weeks but in some cases it's 2-3.)
-presto working 60gb ps3 (the best one) with 90 day warranty for under $300
That's how I did it and I got a 60gb ps3 for under $300 for cheap! Sony's customer service is also very good too and highly recommended. You can also do this on other models too. I have seen 40gb ps3's on ebay for about $70ish dollars some even cheaper if you are lucky. So if you don't care about the lack of ps2 playback you can get a ps3 for about $200ish using this method.