So what you're saying is that Microsoft was globally consistent in their hardware offering whereas Sony are, within months of being first launched!, offering a reduced functionality console for the EU release & will be rolling out reduced functionality consoles across the board in the future... I think most people would consider this quite incompetent behaviour. Ironically Microsoft will be releasing an updated Xbox360 with improved functionality - competition for the newly reduced functionality PS3!!

If that region isn't very profitable to do business in, of course, they are gonna scale back. I don't like them not putting in the EE or GS (forgot which one) into the PS3. But had people willing to pay the price, they wouldn't have to do it in the first place.

I agree with Domingo. Remember Microsoft is still selling the Xbox360 version without a hard drive ... when the original xbox comes with a hard drive all the time.

My point is, this will be how most people *perceive* it. As I said, Microsoft were consistent regardless of whatever deficiencies existed (no hard drive, software compatibility as you state).