What will the astronomically-priced PlayStation 3 net you in terms of out-of-the-box hardware? A premium price usually means premium stuff, but now we're learning that it won't come with everything you need to hook it up properly. While you can expect to have to provide some things - the T.V., the surge protector, et cetera, now you can also expect to provide the HDMI cable needed to plug it in to next-gen displays. It appears this may apply equally to PS3's shipped in the U.S. and in Europe:

SCE UK declined to comment on whether the 60GB PS3 will also ship without a HDMI cable here. However, sources close to Sony speculate that Europe will follow the US example by not including a cable in the box, due to the fact that the majority of buyers won't yet own a HDMI-ready TV - and those that do will already have a HDMI lead anyway.
Perhaps that is a valid point, and an HDMI cable isn't going to set you back very far. Just imagine the frustration, though, when you get it all unpacked only to discover you can't do anything with it. Given the hype around the PS3's display capabilities, anyone who is able will want to use the HDMI output instead of the composite output.