The PS3 is One Slow Machine

I've always experienced this and thought it was kind of odd. When I was using my PS3 more heavily, I'd often check the PSN store, at least once a week, to see what's new and such. Occasionally, after even a small firmware update has been released, it would prompt me to install that firmware before I could access the store. That wouldn't be a huge issue under normal circumstances, but the smallest update takes forever and a day to download and install. By the time its done, I don't even feel like browsing through the store.

I also get tired of mandatory installs for just about every game, and the 15-20 minutes it takes (not to mention the limited hard drive space available). When I buy a new game, I want to play, not sit there and wait for 20 minutes while the game eats up my precious hard drive space installing itself before I even see the title screen.

This is why a recent post over at Destructoid got a chuckle out of me, because I realized how very true it was, and that I was feeling the same way. I just tend not to dwell on those things when I'm spending most of time on my Xbox 360 with zero mandatory installs, quick firmware updates and a store that I've never once had to sit and wait for half an hour before I could access. The relevant quotes:

"System updates take forever to download, game patches are considerably lengthier acquisitions than on the Xbox 360, and even things like installation of PSN games after download just reek of unnecessary bullsh*t that gets between me and my videogames...If installs were optional, that would be one thing, but the fact that they're forced makes them incredibly obnoxious...Please Sony -- let's put choice into the hands of the players. Some of us don't mind an extra second of load time if it means we can play our videogames as soon as we actually put the disc in the system. Remember when videogames just played without all the pointless bells and whistles? Those were good days."

I couldn't agree more. At time it seems the present way of doing things, especially for the PS3, is just way too complicated. I've had a much easier and smoother overall experience with my 360, to tell you the truth. This is coming from a former Sony fanboy. Why is a supposedly superior piece of technology so much slower than its competitor at doing the same things? The world may never know.