We've taken the PS3 technical specifications directly from Sony, and of course will update it as they do. The first part of this artcile details the bare bones specification, and the second part, for those not too familiar with CPU speeds and gigabit interfaces, we've provided an explanation of what these crytpic acronyms actually do!

CPU
Cell Processor
PowerPC-base Core @3.2GHz
1 VMX vector unit per core
512KB L2 cache
7 x SPE @3.2GHz
7 x 128b 128 SIMD GPRs
7 x 256KB SRAM for SPE
* 1 of 8 SPEs reserved for redundancy
total floating point performance: 218 GFLOPS

GPU
RSX @550MHz
1.8 TFLOPS floating point performance
Full HD (up to 1080p) x 2 channels
Multi-way programmable parallel floating point shader pipelines

Sound
Dolby 5.1ch, DTS, LPCM, etc. (Cell- base processing)

Memory
256MB XDR Main RAM @3.2GHz 256MB GDDR3 VRAM @700MHz

System Bandwidth
Main RAM 25.6GB/s
VRAM 22.4GB/s
RSX 20GB/s (write) + 15GB/s (read)
SB<>

System Floating Point Performance
2 TFLOPS

Storage
Either 20GB HDD or 60GB HDD

I/O
USB Front x 4, Rear x 2 (USB2.0)
Memory Stick standard/Duo, PRO x 1
SD standard/mini x 1
CompactFlash (Type I, II) x 1

Communication
Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T) x 3 (input x 1 + output x 2)
Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR)

Controller
Bluetooth (up to 7)
USB 2.0 (wired)
Wi-Fi (PSP)
Network (over IP)

AV Output
Screen size: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
HDMI: HDMI out x 2
Analog: AV MULTI OUT x 1
Digital audio: DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL) x 1

Disc Media
CD PlayStation CD-ROM, PlayStation 2 CD-ROM, CD-DA, CD-DA (ROM), CD-R, CD-RW, SACD, SACD Hybrid (CD layer), SACD HD, DualDisc, DualDisc (audio side), DualDisc (DVD side)
DVD: PlayStation 2 DVD-ROM, PlayStation 3 DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW
Blu-ray Disc: PlayStation 3 BD-ROM, BD-Video, BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-RE

Ok, for those, like most, are not sure what all this babble means, here is the dummie sguide to all the technical specifications. Enjoy:

CPU
CPU, or Central Processing Unit, is the brain of a computer or machine. Its primary job is to translate instructions and process data from programs that initiate it. In other words, you click a button, the CPU interprets that to mean kick the bad guy in the head, and resulting in favorite character executing a sublime round house kick. Pretty much all modern day CPUs have a microprocessor at their heart, increasing performance drastically from earlier methods. The PS3's CPU is built exclusively for the console, therefore is not extremely scalable, but packs a hell of a punch for your PS3 gaming needs

GPU
GPU, or Graphics Pro, no Proceed, hang on, I cant imagine what it will be. Got it! Graphics Processing Unit! Is the daddy behind your visuals on the console, and is extremely powerful with graphic manipulation and rendering, as it is a dedicated piece of hardware. Whilst delivering atonishing Playstation 3 graphics, it also alleviates some of the load from the CPU, letting the brain get on with doing what it does best

Sound
The PS3 will have Dolby 5.1CH speakers, synonomous with quality home theatre systems. In short, when you hear a few rounds cracking out of a semi automatic behind you, Japan hasnt invaded, its the game.

Memory
Ever forgotton where you put that damn memory card? Well, the PS3 tries not to. The memory in the PS3 console is important, it never forgets where to picked up your last reward, villains you have slain, or puzzles you have solved. The more memory, the better. When information is stored in memory, it is much quicker for the system to retrieve that information, as opposed to reading it from the hard drive, in otherwise less hanging and skipping.

System Bandwidth
Is somewhat a speculative term, which is hard, or near impossible to prove. It is a complex assumption, involving the capacity of certain items to communicate with each other, how fast they do it, how much resources they use. If you want more information, try a quantum computing night course.
System Floating Point Performance
System Floating Point Performance is an indicator of the computer or consoles performance especially when extensively using floating point calculations. The PS3 has 2 TFLOPS (obviously), which equates to 1012 FLOPS (naturally). In layman's terms, the console can compute advanced calculations prety damn quickly

Storage
Everyone loves lots of storage space. For the car, home or office, you just cant get enough sometimes. The Playstation 3 likes space too, it has lots of data and information to store, when it needs to permanently remember things, or the memory cant cope. With either 20GB or 60GB hard drive space, you have enough room to swing 10 cats tied together with string.

I/O
I/O, I/O, its off to work we go. I/O (Input/Output), is the speed and type of devices that the PS3 reads from or writes to. As you can see, there's a few gadgets you can plug in to the console.

Communication
Communication is the key to success, and this model of Playstation has taken a leap from its predecessor, and is now hooked up to the information super highway, or internet as we often say. Multi-player online gaming is now a thing of the present with the snazzy new PS3

Controller
Controllers basically control (yep, control) how different components communicate, and interface with each other. Generally, this applies to peripherals (not on board). Exciting stuff.

AV Output
AV Output is the method of displaying output, the visuals you see when running amock in GTA. You could have the best GPU, but without any mechanism to pipe it on to your screen, your screwed.

Disc Media
Obviosuly, what type of disks your Playstation 3 can read. There's quite a few supported formats.

The Sony PlayStation 3 is a huge landmark for Sony and gaming. The original PlayStation was one of the biggest gaming consoles of all time, and the PlayStation 2 had a great run. The only difference with those two consoles and the PlayStation 3 is that now gaming credentials are more critical, more is expected, and competition is more active than ever.

Aesthetically, the Sony PlayStation 3 is some nice eye candy. Sure, it's gigantic - I mean HUGE. Very bulky. According to Amazon, it is "12.8 x 10.8 x 3.9 inches ; 11 pounds." Or, well, it would SEEM that it was huge. Surprisingly, the Xbox 360 is "13 x 11 x 4 inches ; 20 pounds." So, disregard all those Negative Nancies that say that the PlayStation 3 is huge.

Although, personally, it does seem larger even to me (although I don't make that claim, because I know it's not - just at first sight it looks as if it is. I guess because the difference is just fractions of an inch, but still). With that nonsense out of the way, it's a very aesthetically pleasing machine. The font used is very reminiscent of that used in the Spiderman movie posters, and it looks nice with the black finish.

Now, before I even go any further with this review, I'd like to mention the most acclaimed functionality of the console; Blu-ray capability. Most Blu-ray players on the market cost close to or even above the cost of the Sony PlayStation 3. So, if you're looking to get into super-Hi-Def video, look no further - One package, gaming and hi-def entertainment. And with the games in this format, the game discs have much more space, allowing for larger games and quicker load times (well, this is also because of the fact that parts of the game are saved onto the hard drive, but I'm sure the disc capacity doesn't hurt). And with 1080p output... Well, I'm not surprised that HD-DVD lost the format war.

One great thing with this console is it's backward-compatibility. It's predecessors had some amazing groundbreaking games, and now you can still enjoy them. All models support PlayStation backward-compatibility, and some play PlayStation 2 games (might want to check the models out before making your purchase - My cousin bought a model that was not backward-compatible, and... Needless to say, he was quite angry). And seeing as the layout of the controller really hasn't changed over the years, it's just as comfortable playing all your favourite PlayStation games hasn't changed.

The built-in WiFi that you get with the PS3 is a convenience. With the Xbox 360, it's a hassle to have to spend the extra bucks to get WiFi compatibility. Now, the online play and environment is (in my opinion) not nearly as good as Xbox Live, but... Hey, it's free. There's no reason not to go with it, unless you're a huge online gamer and want to have a bunch of features - In that case, go with Xbox Live.

Now, the game selection is great, but... Well, they're lacking in exclusive titles. Don't get me wrong - There are some amazing exclusive titles coming out for the Sony PlayStation 3, but the numbers are lesser than that of the other consoles. Most of the games that are on the PlayStation 3 are also on the Xbox 360. For this reason, I'd like to try and persuade you away from the PlayStation 3 if you already own an Xbox 360. Unless, of course, you have reasons to want one other than game selection - Such as the Blu-ray, or if you just have enough money for the luxury of having both.

One thing that I think is a huge plus for the Sony PlayStation 3 is how it comes with a cable to charge the controller. With the 360, you have to pay extra for something like that. With the PS3, it comes with it, so if you're running low on battery power, just plug it in and keep playing. Of course, with it plugged in, you can't go nearly as far as with it wireless, but it's only temporary while it charges.

And, keep in mind, it's the small things that count. Like the slot-loading disc drive. The Xbox 360 does not have this very cool feature, although the Nintendo Wii does, and it's a nice convenience. Of course, it does not really add much functionality to the console, but it's nice, and it makes the console look more sleek aesthetically.

The built-in ports on the front of the console are nice. You get media readers and USB ports (4 count) right there. Some people say that it would be nice to have some USB ports in the back, too, but... Well, frankly, I see it as unnecessary. How many USB ports do you really need for a gaming console? Maybe that's just me...

One thing that you'll want to do if you're obsessed with how your console looks (don't worry, we won't judge you) is keep a cleaning rag nearby or something, because the finish on the console really attracts fingerprints, and they will build up in no time. Whether you're resting your hand on the top of the console while your disc ejects or you're moving it around, your mark will be left, and it's very noticeable.

Playstation-3 is a gaming experience that is beyond anything known today. It is a computer entertainment system that unleashes a brilliant, high-definition entertainment experience which is incomparable. It delivers the next generation of interactive entertainment.

Playstation-3 is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment. A major feature, that sets it apart from its predecessors, is its unified online gaming service, the PlayStation Network. Other main features of the console include its huge multimedia capabilities, connectivity with the playstation portable and its use of a next generation optical media, blu-ray disc, as its primary storage medium.

There are models of four types that are usually referred to by the size of their included hard disc drive; 20, 40, 60 and 80 gigabyte models. All retail packages include one or two six axis controllers, a video/stereo audio, a power cable, a USB cable, output cable, and an Ethernet cable(20, 60 and 80GB only).

Numerous accessories for the console have been developed for the system, including the wireless six axis controller, the BD remote, the playstation eye camera and the upcoming play TV DVB-T tuner/digital video recorder. The system has bluetooth 2.0, gigabit Ethernet, USB 20 and HDMI 1.3a built-in on all models. Wi-Fi networking is also built-in on the 40, 60 and 80GB models while a flashcard reader (which is compatible with memory stick, SD/MMC and compact flash/micro drive media) is built-in on 60 and 80GB models.

The playstation-3 version of the `Xross Media Bar` includes nine categories of options. These include users, settings, photo, music, video, game, network, playstation network and friends. Also it includes the ability to store various master and secondary user profiles, manage and explore photos with or without a musical slide-show, play music and copy audio CD tracks to an attached storage device, play movies and video files from the hard-disk drive, an optional USB mass storage or flashcard, or an optical disc (blu-ray disc or DVD-video), compatibility for a USB keyboard and mouse and a full web browser supporting in/compatible file download function.

The friends menu allows mail with emoticon and attached picture features and video chat which requires an optional playstation eye or eye toy webcam. The network menu allows online shopping through the playstation store.

The 80GB playstation-3 provides ample hard drive storage space for games and other entertainment content from the game network. The free membership in playstation network allows you to play free games online, allows downloading of special content and be in touch with your friends. The inbuilt Wi-Fi allows for flawless connection with your network. It includes hard drive for all photos, music and personal videos.

The six axis wireless controller gives more precision and freedom during game play. The picture quality is pristine with the capability of full high-definition resolution at 1080p. The built-in blu-ray disc drive provides for high-definition games and entertainment.

Sony has also announced the dualshock3, a controller with the same design and function as the six axes, but with vibration capability included. It was released in Japan in November 2007, while a spring 2008 release date has been scheduled for Europe and North America.

The playstation-3, at first, received generally unfavorable reviews like late, expensive and incompatible, but after a series of price drops and the release of several quality titles, the system has begun to garner better reviews. Their motor sport game is wildly popular and their list of games is getting larger and longer.

With its cutting-edge technology, the high-end Sony playstation-3`s larger hard drive and ability to play playstation-2 games makes it a worthwhile alternative to cheaper models.