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What, you mean like this ?

Is anyone else disturbed by the fact that the "ultimate game machine" doesn't come with any controllers?

L600 Spec Sheet

This unit is really starting to interest me alot. I dont see myself getting an x-box or even a TiVo, but this one (especially at $299) really has my attention. I really can't wait to see some specs on the "red box" from them. They've been talking the L600 up as a Game/MP3/Web unit, and in this interview John G. says the "Red Box", a higher unit down the road, will integrate personal TV... ie TiVO/Replay capabilities. Of course I did notice on the preliminary L600 info page that the L600 has SVHS in and out along with HDTV listed as specs...software upgradable to 'Red Box' maybe ????

Funny, no links to directx

-Jon

Go with Indrema

www.indrema.com

You know, there is a company called Indrema that's planning on releasing a Linux-based video game console. Hoor-fucking-ray. Obviously the reasoning behind this is to appease the loud, vocal minority of Linux gamers who feel that everything should be open-source and free.

Oooh, and they've got a great new business model! Let me take a stab at it... they're gonna market the thing like crazy to geeks, and then take forever to release ports of games that are spectacularly old and underwhelming. Why play tired old games like Sonic the Hedgehog when you can have gSonic gthe gHedgehog? It's almost the same game, except it's pretty slow, and you have to recompile it with a special option if you want sound. But let freedom ring, brother!

ADSL and cable modem services are growing at an extremely high rate. We recently had cable modem service rolled out in our area and everyone I know snatched it up. More and more people have a home network to go along with it. Just check Amazon's electronics section -- the number one selling item is a hardware DSL/cable modem router. Its devices like this that make home networks extremely easy to implement.

There are some internet appliances that support broadband connections.

• Aplio/Pro -- hardware VoIP device
• Kerbango -- MP3 based internet "radio"
• Indrema -- linux set-top box (pvr, mp3, game console)
• Audiotron -- MP3 stereo component

Most of these aren't on the market yet, but are due by the end of the year. So it looks a lot like a case of RSN.

... bottom of the page
Q: Exactly what parts of IES are Open Source?
A: Much of the driver level code, API implementations and all kernel code is Open Source. The only exceptions are components of drivers, which must be preserved in a binary library file for security or copy protection integrity and the Xtrema API implementation. Some application components such as the Gecko HTML rendering engine and Necko transport engine are also Open Source. Many application components of the IES, such as the personal video system, will not be Open Source

That Idrema box looks like so many other psuedo-futuristic modern gadget designs, like some sleek underwater device, or a handy tray to keep your marble collection in.. What I want to see is some good-old-fashioned future noir design in some settop boxes.. Something more sid mead/bladerunnerish. Something that looks a little more dangerous.

Uh, yeah, but I'd take one in a pinch..

Every week or so we have another article about X-box. It won't even be around for over a year.(esp with the way MS keeps dates) Yes it will have nice hardware, but then so will the Indrema, In fact they seem almost identical hardware wise. (except Indrema can have a larger harddrive up to 50gigs, think TIVO, it comes with a MPEG encoder).

As far as software goes the Indrema is much more interesting because the SDK is free and the licensing very open.

Why would anyone bother with an X-box? The only reason I can think is to try to load linux or something inorder to screw MS from licensing fees.

Then again maybe I just hate MS.;)

The best thing about Xbox is that it won't change. Ever. Judging by other consoles, Xbox should have a four or five year run

Indrema has stated that their product will be ungradable, without sacrificing the consistency necessary for a console system.

If this does turn out to work, their system definitely would seem to be the best option of those out there. Has anyone seen any of these articles for it?

--

By the mention in the article that Indrema knows that Linux is under the GPL, and thus their derivitive works will also be GPL. I hope they make a few billion on this thing. Yeah, a few geeks will take advantage of the GPL to "steal" their game engine, and... produce more games for it? Somehow that doesn't sound like too much of a problem.

Hail Indrema! May they be the next Sony, and may their shareholders be infinitely happy...

First off, sony sells the PS-2 at cost, significantly so, they make their money from games. Since the thing wouldn't be successful without games anyway, that's probably a good model. Secondly, wholesale computer parts are very cheap. RAM, CPUs, Vid. cards, hard disks, etc. all are nearly unimaginably less expensive when bought under contract in bulk by a huge company like microsoft. Also, if MS decides to port / develop a lot of games for the X-Box themselves (which they most certainly will do) they may decide not to make any money on the console itself. The PS-2 costs aroun $400 to $500 to make, but I doubt Sony will be complaining if it is succesful and a lot of people "steal" it from them at the price they sell them for.

And, don't forget, this isn't a general purpose computer, it's a gaming console, which means it doesn't need:
-a very big hard drive
-a monitor
-a high output power supply
-a motherboard with expandability
-a top of the line processor (especially since it will be using a GPU)

This adds up to significant savings in the cost of the device (both in its parts and for assembly / testing).

Also, another company Indrema is developing a similar system (though not as gaming specific) based on off the shelf technology and linux.

http:/ /www.indrema.com/servlet/site?page=whats_a_web_con sole_enterprise.html

It seems they're not just targeting this at home users -- they're billing to to corporations as dumb terminals for web-based apps and and as web kiosks and hotel room access. could be interesting, this looks cheap enough to make widespread use actually feasible...