Slim and price drop are now OFFICIAL!

As if K-Mart's front page ad wasn't enough to confirm, Sony's officially announced their PlayStation 3 Slim that retails for $100 less than the current PlayStation 3 fat, which is also getting a price cut.

The slim will come with a 120GB drive, and will be 32% smaller and 36% lighter than the standard PlayStation 3, as well as using 34% less power. The $300 price will apply to all PS3's effective tomorrow (August 19). The Slim will be available everywhere by the first week of September.

Here are some more details. The 80GB PS3 (current model) will be discounted, whereas the 160GB PS3 will be $400. There will be a new PS3 logo as well as modifications to the official name from PLAYSTATION 3 to PlayStation 3, because the old one was just plain rude, shouting all the time.

It'll also have a BRAVIA Sync feature that'll allow you to control the PS3's XMB with your Sony TV remote as long as they're connected via HDMI. And the TV will automatically turn off the PS3 when the TV goes off.

Sony also says that they're eliminating the feature of installing other operating systems on the Slim, so no more Linux.

Oh, and there will only be two USB ports.

Windows 7 updating is confusing...

Not sure how this whole Windows 7 upgrade thing will work for you? Well, this official Microsoft chart probably won't help either.

Many of the upgrade paths here are illogical and unlikely, but to simplify things a bit, if your upgrade path falls in a green box, congratulations - your upgrade process will be easier and will preserve your current files, settings and programs. If you fall in the sea of blue there, that means you will have to perform a "Custom Install" which falls somewhere in between an upgrade and a fresh install. If you are still confused, ZDNet has a more simple version of this... thing. Link HERE

K-Mart Confirms It!! PS3 price and size cut!

While we're waiting for Sony to announce a cheaper, slimmer PS3 in their press conference later today, K-Mart has this announcement on their front page...now. It looks like we get a new model and price drops on old PS3s.

K-Mart now has a pre-order page up as well for a $299 Slim. Either they're the biggest screw-ups in retailer history, or Sony doesn't mind (and has even encouraged) the info leaks.

PS3 Slim getting closer to becoming a reality... more evidence...

Unicorns, Apple's Macbook Tablet and PS3 Slim have one thing in common, they are rumors, aren't they? I don't know about the first two but the Slim is looking more real as time goes by. Let's review the evidence:

• The 80 GB PS3 is being discontinued in Japan by the manufacturer's request. Meanwhile, price cuts on various bundles are happening all around the world. HMM.

• Digitimes reports "Sony is seriously increasingly buying 'key PS3 components', enough to build a 1,000,000 (million btw) consoles over the next 3 months. Why make this amount of consoles if the actual PS3 is not selling as much as it should. HMMM.

• Amazon Germany lists a PS3 "Konsole Slim." HMMMM.

I wonder...