PS3 vs PC rig

Since the forum is filled with PC fags this should get some interesting responses

after my summer work I should have some left over cash and was thinking of getting me a PS3 slim, but then I got thinking. £300 is quite alot, with that cash I could start building a decent PC rig, but I know bugger all about building PC's or how much it would cost. So lets have some input if you would be so kind.

Shoebox should put his money into:

PS3:
PROS
+Metal Gear Solid 4
+Blue Ray player
+10 year life cycle
+PSN network
+METAL GEAR SOLID 4
CONS
-NO GOOD GAEMS (exaggeration but there's not that many I want that I cant get on 360)

PC:
PROS
+Has way more multi-media functionality than any console could dream
+Steam
+superior controls for FPS
+Superior online play
+STEAM
CONS
-A PC rig is really big (may not have room at home)
-Potentially More expensive
-Requires upgrading and maintenance over time

or should I forget it all and get a Mac (omg mac has games???).
tbh I'm leaning toward a PS3

One of my housemates has a PS3, I have my PC, so I guess I'm in a good position to compare the two.
The PS3 is great if you have flatmates that you could potentially play multiplayer games with, and seriously, the PS3-has-no-games argument is no longer valid; there are plenty of decent games for it these days.
My housemate uses his PS3 for loads of stuff; playing music, watching movies and tv he's downloaded, it's a multimedia platform that you can really share, and while I can do everything just the same on my PC, it just somehow seems like a more personal experience than one for several people.
Alot of the time people don't take into account the fact that a console requires a TV when comparing prices, and this can sneak away a fair bit of cash from your wallet if you don't already have one; PC monitors tend to be cheaper.

As far as prices for building a PC goes, it depends on a few things; how powerful do you want it to be? (What games do you plan on playing on it?)
My own rig, for example, can manage Crysis, (and thus every other PC game), on maximum without much strain at 1440x900 res, and the whole setup, including monitor, peripherals etc, was just under £700, though you could probably knock £50 or so off the top of that since prices have dropped somewhat.

Good point on the specs.

Nothing too fancy, just wanna play some TF2, L4D an HL2. Things like that

you can build a rig really cheap now. my housemate fergus is getting one built for him by my other housemate phil. if you don't mind getting some second hand gear you can build a really great PC thats capable of playing Crysis on quite high settings for £300-400.

you're not going to want a monitor for a PC under 24" (trust me this comes from experience).

we're getting a PS3 for the society anyway. i'd recommend before you do anything you come around to my place and talk to phil. if all you want is a nice enough rig for source stuff then it really won't cost as much as you think.

also i wouldn't let building a rig put you off. it's really quite easy and there are enough of us around who can help you out. i had loads of trouble building mine because my motherboard that i got was DOA and i sent back a graphics card and 2 PSUs before i figured that out. even though it gave me a bit of stress i don't regret it at all because the reward is so good and it was fun.

Yah, source games really aren't that demmanding at all by today's standards.
There are plenty of us on the forums with enough experience to guide you through putting it all together, and trust me, it's alot easier than it sounds.