 |  A serious computer in game console's clothing? |
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Is a new video game system worthy of the worldwide attention Xbox is receiving? First of all let's take into account that the manufacturer is none other than Microsoft, the undisputed and often labeled monopolizing worldwide leader in the computing industry. Now let's take into consideration that the Xbox is in actuality a very nicely tricked out computer in game console's clothing. How so? On the outside what we have here is a video game console, the size of a VCR approximately 12 inches wide, 3 inches high and 10 inches deep. This console plays video games and music CDs out of the box . With an additional $29 purchase of the DVD Movie Playback Kit the system becomes a DVD movie player. The kit includes the required infrared receiver and a remote control designed for DVD playback. Xbox boasts theater-quality audio. It has 256 simultaneous audio channels, 3D positional audio, and real-time Dolby Digital audio encoding. Of special interest to the audiophile with this system you can rip from your own CD collection and play the music you want.
Inside we find an Intel 733 MHz processor, 256 MHz video Xchip from nVidia boasting full 3-D at 300 million polygons per second, bump mapping and anisotropic filtering. 64MB of RAM, 10 GB hard drive and maxed-out audio performance. This is topped off with nothing less than built-in broadband network internet connectivity. You don't exactly have to wake up and smell the coffee to realize that is one heck of a PC by anyone's standard. Recently at Microsoft's unveiling of the Xbox, one of the units was handed to Bill Gates, he walked over to a monitor, inserted two plugged and powered it up. He then said something like "Gee, we should make a PC that is this easy to setup" (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). If you are becoming a little suspicious that the Xbox may be a move on Microsofts part to put a personal computer next to your television under the guise of a video game system, rest assured your not alone. The fact that when the holiday buying frenzy passes you will be able to pick up the above described computer for under $300.00 does nothing to quash anyone's suspicions. Yes, thats right, according to Microsoft's official Xbox website "The Xbox video game system has a suggested retail price of $299.00". Amazing. Will the Xbox with the easy addition of a keyboard and mouse represent the computer appliance Mr Gates has so often referred to? | |
