Before I say anything else:

http://www.pcvsconsole.com/features/consoles/

This is really a great resource to have at your fingertips; as far as I can see it's absolutely correct. If you've ever found yourself wondering what sort of processor X system had, or want some easily accessible backup, look here.

On the other hand, I see reason to be wary of this listing as well. The release dates are half the story about a system as they show literally what it was up against. The problem here is that we don't see the systems as they had appeared in the lineup over in ol' Japan, which is a fact of more than just passing interest (though this is by no means a flaw attributable only to them; all western gaming sites make similar omissions simply because it tells the story as it happened here) to game collectors and enthusaists...people who like to find good games should know they existed!

To sum it up: I'd say this is a great look at things from the familiar perspective of the US. consumer, but unfortunately, there's no simple commentary -- "originally released c. 198x in Japan" that would help the average internet viewer sort things out.

You know, I think I should make a similar page for these time periods in Japan. Where's our MSX, CoreGrafx and Bandai Pippin, anyways? We could use a page for handhelds as well.