I don't get it. It was a feature that I completely overlooked and felt that I would never need to use it. Even when Sony said that it was going to get rid of it I looked away knowing that it wont effect me. However, many others are contently complaining about the removal of the Other OS feature, even going as far as suing sony for it: 
http://gamer.blorge.com/2010/04/29/sony-sued-over-other-os-removal-from-ps3/
I don't see how important this 'Other OS' feature was as I seen reports of it being slow and almost useless (Useless when you have a PC with you). What do you guys think?

I was about to start using it to get some practical experience with programming the cell, so to me, the removal cost me a big bullet point on my resume. Otherwise, I wouldn't have used it at all, so I can see both sides of it.

Well if 1% of people were using that features, that includes 340,000 people.  A lot of publishers would probably like to have them as customers.

It was probably important to some people. It was also a feature that was originally available upon purchase, and then later removed without compensation, which shouldn't really happen with any product. 

I think the biggest loss to the average customer is that when the PS4 comes out and you'll want to do something useful with the old one - you won't be able to turn it into a network media player like Boxee.

There's definitely some number of people that actually bought PS3s specifically for the feature as an affordable means of being able to gain experience programming for the Cell processor, so for them, it's a pretty huge deal.

Well, the man I sold my PS3 to was programming on the CELL so.....

Not to me.  I never used it.

I could have used it in the future. I don't like it when features are removed but it doesn't really bother me.

It's never good when sellers retroactively take out shit that you bought.  Then there is the added stigma that the reason for the removal of the OtherOS was rumored (or confirmed?  Not sure of Sony has gone out and stated it) to be all about stopping potential piracy.  At that point, it just becomes another case of companies treating their userbase like potential criminals rather than loyal customers.
 
Do I miss the feature?  Until news about that update was brought up, I totally forgot that the PS3 can run Linux.  Still, just retroactively removing something that they use to advertise as a feature rubs the consumerist side of me the wrong way.  I hope whoever put out that class action lawsuit against Sony wins.

I think there was some company that had a product revolved around using the PS3 cell processor for rendering and encoding video super fast which used the Linux function.  Sucks for the people who bought that product which was kind of expensive, they can still use it for rendering but the ps3 basically can't play games anymore if they were using it as a render box.

I'm torn on it, I never saw any use for it.  That said, it's a dick move to advertise a feature, sell someone something, and then take the feature away.   I certainly don't want piracy to take root as that will hurt us all, but still it's not cool to advertise something and then remove it.

I was playing GTA4: Episodes From Liberty City and I had Johnny Klebitz surfing the 'Net. One of the websites was about a send-up of Linux called Eunux and reading the material Rockstar North created for the send-up pretty much proved to me that the people wanting to sue are probably the biggest geeks in America. Honestly, why would anyone want to even run Linux on a console? What's the point of it anyway, other than some of the "big" stuff Mr. Hotz was planning? 99.9% of Linux users do it on a PC.  Yeah, I made up the number but I'll bet it's a legit number.
 
Sony didn't take away the "Other Os" function. You can choose not to upgrade the firmware and you can run Linux on the PS3. I find it hard to believe that these geeks don't own multiple machines to run their applications. These guys are the hardcore of the hardcore. I'm sure they have a Slim PS3 for regular gaming use, if they even game period.  I just can't believe these guys would cry about losing the ability to run Linux on a CONSOLE.
 
I don't really care. I just see a bunch of bored virgins with no lives suing Sony for no reason other than litigate litigate, litigate is in these days. If they want to spend their summer doing that and defending the good name of George Hotz, fine.  
 
Honestly, I would like Sony to give them back the other OS function so these geeks would just shut the fuck up already. I'd like to then see what George and his buddies would do with their hack.

Not to me.

Hey guys, you remember that one feature.. what was it called... 
 
Backwards Compatibility? 
 
I think, right? 
 
Yeah, I didn't use it so its okay that Sony took it away.

Seems like a lot of people want Sony to give them B/C on their PS3 and yet people are still buying PS2 consoles. If they are still manufacturing the PS2 and people are still buying it, why cut the lifeline of the nearly 10 year-old PS2 off? 
 
I'm sure at some point they will bring it back, probably when they finally discontinue the PS2 for good. Myself, it's been a good long time since I've played any PS2 game on my 60 GB. The last PS2 discs I played were my old OPM demo discs.

Really, I'll even go as far as to say BC isn't a big deal to me, considering that by removing it, they were able to sell the consoles cheaper anyway. And now for $300, you get a gaming machine, Netflix player, Bluray player, online gaming, wi-fi, rechargeable controller and the ability to do other little things. You just can't run Linux or play a five year-old game. How fucking dare they.

It wasn't a big deal for me, however I do understand those who do use it having a problem.  You buy a product and use the features they have and are even encouraged to use the features.  Then you remove the feature that they wanted.  Now I'm sure there aren't that many people (excluding the military) who use it just for the OS.  But it is primarily a gaming device.  If it someone that feature will exploit current and future gaming plans then you remove it.  Save the money maker stuff not the "luxury add-ons." 

" I was playing GTA4: Episodes From Liberty City and I had Johnny Klebitz surfing the 'Net. One of the websites was about a send-up of Linux called Eunux and reading the material Rockstar North created for the send-up pretty much proved to me that the people wanting to sue are probably the biggest geeks in America. Honestly, why would anyone want to even run Linux on a console? What's the point of it anyway, other than some of the "big" stuff Mr. Hotz was planning? 99.9% of Linux users do it on a PC.  Yeah, I made up the number but I'll bet it's a legit number. Sony didn't take away the "Other Os" function. You can choose not to upgrade the firmware and you can run Linux on the PS3. I find it hard to believe that these geeks don't own multiple machines to run their applications. These guys are the hardcore of the hardcore. I'm sure they have a Slim PS3 for regular gaming use, if they even game period.  I just can't believe these guys would cry about losing the ability to run Linux on a CONSOLE. I don't really care. I just see a bunch of bored virgins with no lives suing Sony for no reason other than litigate litigate, litigate is in these days. If they want to spend their summer doing that and defending the good name of George Hotz, fine.   Honestly, I would like Sony to give them back the other OS function so these geeks would just shut the fuck up already. I'd like to then see what George and his buddies would do with their hack. "

I didn't care about it until I found out they took it away.  I still really don't care too much.

I personally never used or intended to use the "Other OS" feature. It just gets on my nerves that they removed a feature that didnt need to be. The same thing with the removing backwards compatibility from current PS3 models. It doesnt make sense. I know their a company and making a profit is the main goal but were(games in general) have supported and built these companies up if you think about it. Give us something back once in awhile.