Is there even the need for it?

this may be the point in the life the console drops to $99? if so i'll become a multi-console gamer

It's funny how there's a request for confidentiality in there, yet we're somehow looking at the documents right now. I wonder if it was declined, or if the FCC just messed up.

I looked through the test results one briefly. It was basically just all about antenna/wifi stuff. It looks like the new model still won't support 802.11n, which is surprising to me. I also noticed the table of contents says there's photographs of the setup on pages 87-89, but there's only 86 pages =\.

roadmap was the same for ps2... expecting the ps4 out soon, depending on Microsoft of course...

quote MetallicaDragon

Is there even the need for it?

Yep. People often discredit slimmer consoles as a gimmick but in reality they just increase production efficiency and reduce costs. Slimmer/smaller = less materials used and less seperate components, not to mention that they usually represent a process shrink (for example 33nm->20nm) reducing heat emissions and the need for cooling materials (which are actually pretty costly).
If Sony hand over some of the cost cutting to customers combined with their coming lineup it should give them a boost of sales before the PS3's lifespan is over as oni_hero said.