First off - I don't think that's going to happen. I've borrowed the title because I think it frames the question well; I'm merely writing why I *don't* think this will happen.

Sony, I assume, wants to keep their next-gen tech non-open, non-PC'd. They probably make more money off their home entertainment business than they do their rebranded PC line, and furthermore consoles are easier for Sony to use as leverage for their movies. For companies like Sony and Matsuhita - and of companies in all sorts of fields from farm equipment to razor blades - control and development of all the products you use in a certain field, from the big, multi-grand hardware pieces down to the standards you use (i.e. Blu-Ray versus the enhanced DVD standard, whatever it's called), and including control of the media you see as well, would be perfect.

It would allow them to diversify immensely; they would be able to produce things in-house that wouldn't be possible in partnerships - synergy to the extreme, if that means anything - and any element of the total package that was underperforming would be shored up by another, and enriched as well. We've already seen this in consoles, as software sales are used to make up for losses on consoles sold. Including copies of a Spider-Man movie with your PSP gives Sony a more complete package that not only has more going for it, but gives Sony's movie biz another outlet for sales. Media is something they desperately needed in the days of Beta...but enough about Sony.

Sony's partnered with IBM and Toshiba, two companies that very likely want to take the fight to IBM in a very direct way. The PS3 isn't a general purpose device (for what I can tell). PCs are and have become irreplacable, and I think IBM is going to use the Cell processor to help try to get back into the desktop PC market. We'll see. It's been said point-blank that plans for Cell include home networking equipment and - of course - something like computers must be in the works. I think Sony has decided they aren't quite able to come up with a PC replacement *yet,* so for the moment a PS3 will do. Don't be surprised if the PS3 ends up wearing many hats, however.

This is huge, and this is the real Revolution. My apologies to any fanboys lacking in intestinal fortitude, but Sony's leveraged this so perfectly. A year ago - heck, even three months ago - I would've said that Matsuhita possibly had a chance to make some progress in this field of a total set-top-box, and I had thought I'd seen them saying so. Well, I should've known better. They don't own the media Sony does, and they don't have the content creation capability.

As for the graphics power, I don't see anything here to suggest the graphics card companies are suddenly going to stop their work for PCs. At best (for the consoles), this is a draw. That's not to say I don't expect anything less than spectacular results from the new gen of hardware, though; I've had my fill of lousy color depth in third-person sneakers like Splinter Cell.

Anyhow, comment away, and stuff. I know my language is pretty...obtuse, but I'm hoping it's easy to figure out.