Linux on PS3 = possible selling point

Granted I for one am not inclined to drop $600ish (US) on a console without some other meritous feature. The fact that it's still the cheapest route to go HD for personal video is the same reasoning behind my initial PS2 purchase years and years ago for DVD--before the throw-away $30 DVD players of today. Being able to load linux extends the usablility of the box to more than something to play with and increases shelf life.

Of course, this linux option still doesn't tip the scales in purchasing one as you can buy another PC for the same price and get more bang for your buck. Blue-ray VS HDDVD is still raging so there is that risk of getting shafted for video (see Betamax) in the long run if HDDVD wins the fight. Considering that I can load linux on my NDS I wouldn't be surprised if in short order you can do the same on a Wii. <shrug>