The reason why PS3 Slim owners cannot use Linux, according to Sony
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The one feature that the PS3 Slim lacks but all of its bigger and fatter brothers do have is the support for ‘Other OS’, in other words the ability to install Linux on the system.
Although it isn’t really a feature that has taken off, some users are a little annoyed that they cannot enjoy the same pleasure as others.
People have been trying to understand the reason for the removal, and some have blamed the prospect of piracy, or Sony wanting you to spend money on games over using the PS3 as a computer.
We now have a proper explanation from Sony for the reason of the removal and they blame drivers:
The PS3 Slim is a major cost reduction involving many changes to hardware components in the PS3 design. In order to offer the OtherOS install, SCE would need to continue to maintain the OtherOS hypervisor drivers for any significant hardware changes – this costs SCE.
There will of course be many people who are not satisfied with this statement and blame Sony for looking to get more revenue from software sales. They could be right, but in reality the little feature hasn’t really helped Sony in any way so why would they put much effort in keeping it.
Please share your thoughts as always in the comments.
[Source]
On my 60GB PS3 I installed Linux in Dec of 08. It was fun to use because I actually had to look up tutorials on how to do basic things, so the challenge was something I enjoyed. I had set it up for the “essentials”, and once I finally got everything set up, I never used it again.
It was fun for two weeks though. The problem is, I play games way too frequently to constantly boot into and out of Linux. Plus I like to talk to my PSN friends as well.
It’s a bleedin Game console not a computer.
I must admit I did toy with the idea of installing linux and spent a lot of time looking into the options, implications and methods. I never got round to it because I have a computer I can plug into the TV anyway and with the PS3’s functionality and the Media streaming capability of everything but the kitchen sink who needs Linux on a PS3 anyway aside from the Caltech and MIT people who pile them up and create cost effective supercomputers
i have never bothered to really investigate the linux feature so it doesn’t make a difference to me if i had enough money to buy a slim.
now if they added windows 7, it could be different! obviously that would never happen though.
Why bother, you need a computer to download the OS so just that.