Surprise: Sony's new PS3 goes on sale today--in Japan

At exactly 5 p.m. Eastern Time, 2 p.m. Pacific Time, those folks on the front edge of technology will be buying their new PS3 consoles in Japan. Here in North America, launch is set for November 17th. That's two days after the launch of Nintendo's Wii in the U. S.

Before you fly to Tokyo and pick up a new machine, check out the wise advice from our editor, David Carnoy. When will it be safe to buy you PS3, or Wii? For a comparison of the three top consoles, click on our video below.