> ya ahve to tak in account, that when it's released in japan it will be brand
> enw technology. and when it comes out in the US it will be at LEAST a few
> months old,

What, like two months?!?  it's supposedly coming out in may '06 in the
US.  How much do you think the manufacturing costs will drop in 60-90
days?

> meaning that (as long as they meet demand and don't have another
> ps2 like fiasco)

Another PS2 fiasco is probably just what we're looking at.  The
Japanese PS2 launched many months before the US PS2 and there were
still shortages here for a long time.  At least in Los Angeles, anyway.
 Now with a 2-3 month window, it's going to be even worse.  It's going
to be the gadget of '06, certainly.     The only upshot is that they
are lauching in May, and there presumably won't be quite the feeding
frenzy.

> it should be cheaper than the one sold in japan

What, like the $250 PSP in the US was cheaper than the $186 PSP in
Japan?

> (well cheaper than what the yen vs american dolar exchange will come out)
>  the yen being stronger than the dollar has nothing to do with it as we
> are not
> buying it directly from japan.

The exchange rate is very important, and "we are not buying it directly
from japan" is nonsense.  It's a Japanese company, ergo, we're buying
it directly from Japan.  And if the parts are made elsewhere, it
doesn't matter.  The problem isn't that the Yen is strong, it's that
the dollar is weak.
We're used to getting our stuff more subsidized than the Japanese get
theirs, but Sony can only subsidize so much.  They aren't Microsoft,
who can afford to lost mountains of money year after year.


>  also, when a console comes out they typically
> sell it cheaper than they make it for to get it in peoples houses

Yeah, and at $350-400 they'll still be subsidizing it, just not as much
as at $300.

>  (espically
> that they will have to contend with the Xbox 360) so I would bet it will be
> 299. just my 2 cents

I wouldn't absolutely rule out $300, but I have a hard time believing
the PS3 is only going to be $50 more than a PSP.  Call me crazy.

Oh, and you should hold onto that 2 cents.  Sounds like you're gonna
need it.