Dropping the 20gb model is disappointing. Although as it was never released over here, it still makes a mindshare difference. There was a subtle but important gap that $100us helped to ease, despite lack of availability. My hope was simply that they would release the black model later. I have no need for wifi, card reader.. especially ugly silver trim (360 trim is bad enough).
Yet the way games are going, massive installs is a big problem that will just get bigger...
My main concern now is how they will introduce an 80gb model. No matter how it goes, there must be a price difference somehow. They can't go up, that would be ludicrous. Maybe they will simply introduce it at the current price, and let the market decide what existing 60gb stock is worth. In any event it will be ugly. Retailers won't like it. There has to be some other defining feature difference, and the 60gb can't simply take the 20's place featurewise.. And having fewer features, but 80gb - at the same price - would be mad.
As for price drops, Sony have already proven to be highly unpredictable in the last 12 months. Especially given the
pre-launch feature change* and price drop for japan.
* come to think of it, maybe the original '20gb' model, lacking hdmi output also lacked the appropriate chippery, such as hdcp chip, digital output chips, etc? Perhaps this accounted for a more significant cost difference... It was certainly a very late change
