I have decided to write this review as I think that it will be good practice for when the time comes to write a review on the Playstation 3! Enjoy!!!

Introduction
When the original Playstation 2 came out, there were no complaints about it being too big or bulky, and there were no complaints about the sound that it made. But then when the Slimline PS2 came out, you really notice the difference between the two, and once you have the Slimline PS2, you really can't go back to the original Playstation 2!!!

In September 2004, Sony released the Slimline PS2. The main differences between the Slimline PS2 and the original Playstation 2 is that the Slimline PS2 is smaller, thinner and quieter!

Looks
Well, the looks are much better than what the original Playstation 2 was. The main visual difference is that it is much, much thinner!!! And when I say much, much thinner, I really mean a lot. I'm talking about comparing Johnny Vegas to Victoria Beckham!

The original thickness was about 7.8cm, and in the Slimline PS2, it has been reduced to 2.8cm!!! This is a huge amount for a games console!!!

The same original colour scheme is used for the Slimline PS2. It is a dull black plastic used nearly all over the console, only on the Slimline PS2, there is a shiny black plastic strip off centre to the left with PS2 inscribed into it, this strip shows where the disc area ends on the top of the console.

With the console being much thinner, it makes the console look much more appealing to the buyer, and makes you think why they didn't make the console look this good in the first place?

Weight
With all the bulk gone from the original Playstation 2, so has all the weight that was being carried around with it. The internal volume has been reduced by 75%, and this means that the overall weight of the Slimline PS2 has been halved from the Original Playstation 2. This means that it is a much easier console to carry around your house, or to other people's houses!!! A big bonus for getting the Playstation 2 on a diet!!! So, why didn't they make it lighter in the first place??

Sound
The original Playstation 2 made constant clicking and whirring sounds when a disc was working inside the console. It sometimes distracted you during a game because it was so loud. I'm not sure why there was so much noise with the original console, but thankfully, Sony has changed this.

With the Slimline PS2, when you switch on the console, there is a quiet whirring noise that lasts for about four seconds, and then, (unless you are sitting with your ear touching the console), there is just total silence. If you leaned extremely close to the console, you can actually hear a tiny whirring noise, but you cannot hear it, unless you lean very, very close!!! There are a few clicks and whirrs hear and there, but there aren't many, and if there are, they are barely noticeable. This means that there is now much less distractions and odd clicks and whirrs, so why couldn't they have made it this quiet in the first place?

Disc Flap
In the original, you inserted a disc into the console by pressing a button, and a disc tray would come out of the console, just like a computer. The Slimline is too small to be able to have a disc tray, so Sony decided to go back to the design they had with the original Playstation 1. A flip open lid! With this, you press a small button on the front of the console, and this releases a catch which holds the lid down, and the lid, (on a spring), opens. The lid is about 3 fifths of the total length of the console. When the lid is open, you then get your disc and place it in the centre of the disc area, and push it down onto the spinning wheel thing inside it, when it has clicked onto it, you can then close the lid again, and your game will load!

Ethernet Port and Internet Usage
With the original Playstation 2, if you wanted to use the internet on it, you had to buy an Internet package that went into the back of you Playstation 2, (in that large expansion bay if you're wondering). But Sony have made going on the Internet a lot easier with the Slimline, and it nearly the same as what will be used with the Playstation 3.

There is an Ethernet Port in the back of the Slimline PS2, and here you can plug in an Ethernet cable, that you plug the other end into a computer, (with internet), and then you can play on the Internet!!!

Sockets
In total, there are 9 sockets on the Slimline PS2. These 9 sockets are: Two controller ports, two memory card ports, two USB ports, a main power supply socket, another socket that has a wire coming out of it that also gives it power, (I really can't remember the name of it), and an Ethernet Port!

No 'Power Off' Button!
This is another big difference between the Original Playstation 2 and the new Slimline. On your bigger, older PS2, when you had finished gaming, you held down the standby button on the console, till the button turned red, and then you flicked the big button at the back to fully turn the console off. The Slimline does not have the big button on the back. You still turn the console onto standby by holding the green standby button, but after this, there is no way of fully turning off the console, apart from switching the power off at the mains, or pulling out one of the power cables at the back.

I'm not sure how much power is used while the Slimline is left on standby, so I would think it is a wise idea to either switch it off at the mains or pull a power cable out, to fully knock it off, just to be on the safe side!!

Problems with the console
In 2005, a lot of people were complaining that some consoles were faulty and this made them overheat. But Sony recalled these faulty consoles, and have repaired any problems that were wrong with them.

So far, my console has never malfunctioned, nothing has ever gone wrong with the console, but if someday if were to happen, I will update this review!!!

Just one problem I have encountered with the console is that I think that the memory card slots and the controller ports that are above and below each other are a bit too close to each other. I find that it is hard to remove a controller plug from the console without having to take out the memory card above it first, but this problem might only occur with me!!

Other colours
There are also other colours of the Slimline PS2 console available to the black one. There is a silver version of the console available, and there is also news of a pink one coming out soon! In my opinion, the black one is still the best choice to buy, and this is because it just looks the most original and best!!!!

Price
There are a few prices available for the Slimline PS2 console. For the black version, you can normally buy it for between £70-£90. For the silver version, it is around £90-£105. This is because the silver version is a newer colour than the black one. I think that when the pink version becomes available for order, it will be around the same price as the silver version. You can expect the prices for all three versions of the Slimline to drop near March, when the PS3 comes out!

Overall
To round things up, I will say that the Slimline is definitely a much better console than the original PS2, (if you hadn't already guessed).

It is a lot more stylish, and a lot handier too! If you were deciding whether to buy the original PS2 and this one, I would definitely go for the Slimline, you will not regret your choice. I am very happy with my console, and I am positive that you would be too, but I still can't understand why didn't Sony make the console like this in the first place?! (But I'm very glad that they did in the end)!!!

<Thanks for reading>