Top 5 pet peeves with my PlayStation 3

So what's the big deal? I would have no problem leaving it on all the time, except for the fact that it's a 380 watt power supply. I'm sure it's not using the full 380W on idle operation, but since I have a few other consoles and pcs this adds up to a lot of white noise and silent creep on my electric bill. What's worse is that the corded experience is awful -- the included USB cable is very short so if you forget to charge it, you're going to be up close and personal the next time you play.  Dear Sony, please leave USB1 on in the next firmware update. One port would be enough!

Until then, I'm actually charging my SixAxis on my Wii which gives love to the USB ports when idle. Blasphemy, I know.  I also do the same for my Nyko PS2 wireless controller. Why? Because I have to continue to use my PS2 until I buy the memory card adapter to carry over my saved games to the PS3. Meh.

Pet Peeve #4: The PS3 is a dirt magnet! 

The PS3's power supply sits beneath the system and has an air vent along the bottom and sides, fans blowing outward. Coupled with the shiny surface and weird air circulation caused by the aerodynamic design of these vents, your black PlayStation 3 will turn gray every five days of use. You have to wipe it on a regular basis or watch your fingerprints cake up on it.  Dear Sony, please coat the second gen PS3 with something less dirt conductive or find a better way to circulate the air away from the console.

PS3 Pet Peeve #3: There are always load times

I'm not even talking about Blu-Ray load times. If you download the Genji, Motorstorm, F1, etc. demos you can expect PC-style load times on the console. This doesn't seem to be the case on most 360 games, so I'm not sure what the problem is. I'm starting to develop a habit to queue the game then hit the kitchen for a drink or taking long romantic walks along the beach with my Sixaxis as I wait for the games to begin.

I know the lines between PCs and Consoles are starting to blur, but this is one annoyance that I thought was exclusive to Windows. Maybe it has something to do with compressed ISOs saving space on the hard drive that need to be unpacked.  If that's the case, I want a fatty toggle option. Consoles should offer instant gratification, dammit! The wait on NBA is the worst offender by far. How about a load time mini-game instead of showing us your damn logos?

PS3 Pet Peeve#2: No multitasking of downloads

If you download a game from the store, you must surrender your console for a few hours. There is no download queue, no background downloading, etc. What upsets me most about this awful feature is knowing that this is the most capable multi-threaded console I own. The fact that it cannot perform a download task while I play games or queue up other downloads is just absurd. Again, I'm spoiled by how good Xbox Live (7 downloads queued while you play and on-screen notifications when they are ready is absolutely heavenly). I realize this is just an early version of the store. I pray they are working on this right now. I want to try everything they offer and it's an absurd process. This is also a problem on the Wii, but since the downloads are so small it is innocuous. On a 1GB demo download, you definitely feel it. But here's the icing on the cake -- no ability to resume.  If you're at 30% and cancel to play a game, you have to start over. That is so Windows 95.

PS3 Pet Peeve #1: User sessions in the shop cause temporary freeze-ups

As mentioned in Pet Peeve #2, you must leave your console in meditation for hours if you want those new downloads.  When you come back, the Sixaxis controller syncs instantly (without having to hold down a big green X -- they got that right) and you'll find a "download complete" screen. If you try to press a button, nothing will happen. You'll have to look at this screen for a good 30 seconds and nothing you press can save you.  Eventually, the system informs you that the session has timed out and kicks you out, giving you permission to use the console and you're back at the OS screen. If I'm perpetually logged in, why are they tracking sessions? GRRRR!  I want those 30 seconds of my life back for every single-threaded download you've forced on me! RAWR!!!

It could be worse 

That sums up my worse little gripes. None of them are serious enough to deter anyone from buying a console, but they are pestering problems that detract from the total ownership experience that are not a problem on (ahem) less expensive and so-called less capable consoles. Gamers gave a lot of lip service to the Microsoft people when the first version of Live came out, so hopefully Sony is just as committed to solving these problems and listening to gripes like this one to improve their operating system and system design. Its not like any of these problems aren't solved by their competitors in one way or another.

Above all, the worst thing they've done with these faults is trail behind other best practices. My expectation from a system so advanced and so delayed was not perfection, but significant polish and innovation in their OS and tiny details. Instead, I'm surprised to report that I'm much happier with how the 360 and Wii work out of the box. Bigger better game library aside, the PS3 definitely needs some fine tuning. Also, cocks.