"That information is available for me, as a technical user, if I want it"
Really? I'm a technical user, yet I have no idea where to find additional information as to why MS Word has encountered an error and needs to close. A simple "click here to view the logfile" is easily ignored by non-technical users but actually lets an advanced user figure out wtf just happened.
That would be true if there wasn't a shwack of other costs associated with each unit in addition to the cost of the parts. It costs money to build factories, ship units, print packaging, do quality control testing, etc etc. Unless Sony has also managed to make all of those things cheaper, I would bet they still aren't actually making a profit on each PS3 sold.
That said, Sony may still decide to drop the price to encourage sales now that the holiday shopping season is behind them.
Air pollution is really making us pay through the nose.