Smaller is better.
Sony has given birth to harder, better, faster, stronger Blu-ray reader.
Okay, maybe it's not all those things, but it is smaller than before. The new laser unit developed by Sony and Nichia Japan is only 3mm thick and would allow manufacturers to cut production costs, now that they can "miniaturise" other Blu-ray hardware in a more simplied process.
Aside from providing a cheaper manufacturing solution, the new laser can also read dual-layer BD's and discs with organic dye in the recording layers. Sony is expecting to use this tiny bundle of joy in their 9.5mm laptop drives sometime this year.
All of this might also suggest a price cut for the PlayStation 3, though Sony has denied such.
On another interesting note, GamesIndustry.biz reported that an internal document from Best Buy allegedly indicated Sony would no longer carry 80GB PS3 units after January 28. When contacted by the news site, Best Buy declined to comment on the rumor.
forums
Media players these days are too large, I want something like the slim PS2 to play Blu-Ray.
ZING!
I think that it would be mostly the inputs/outputs in the back, that make em wider/taller than they could be...since they need to have room for jacks...if you only had one or two outputs (HDMI and Component, for example), it could probably cut a bit o the size out >_>
As with any technology really, it starts off big, and eventually shrinks AND gets better at the same time (or at least one or the other)...remember that original computer that took up a warehouse (or two?)??? It had all the power of today's kid's calculator >_>
Now we have PDAs the size of the palm of your hand, and 100's or 1000's of times the processing power >_>
Now, you need room to fit the disk and the optical reader....and some for the processor, and outputs (and inputs, though mostly not necessary), etc....So no doubt it can only shrink so much....