Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft HomeStation - Son Of XBox Revealed
An unnamed reader contributes this link: "PC Formathave story about Microsoft's follow up to the XBox. Rumor is it's a home entertainment centre called HomeStation. It'll offer video and TV on demand, and act as an internet gateway for internet appliances. Profiling is mentioned. The story makes an interesting point about how the XBox's true purpose is to pave the way for Microsoft as a home entertainment brand."
I wonder who's really got the domain. Network Solutions shows it expired in May, 2000.
Registrant: Sue Almand (HOMESTATION-DOM)
51 Ocean Breeze Drive
Atlantic Beach, FL 32233
US
Domain Name: HOMESTATION.COM
Administrative Contact, Billing Contact:
Almand, Sue (SA4428) scalmand@EARTHLINK.NET
51 Ocean Breeze Drive
Atlantic Beach,, FL 32233
904-246-0131
Technical Contact:
Eclipse Communications Hostmaster (EC136-ORG) hostmaster@ECLIPSE-COMM.COM
Eclipse Communications
701 W. 4th St.
South Pittsburg, TN 37380
US
423-837-4955
Fax- - 423-629-6121
Record last updated on 26-Jul-2001.
Record expires on 23-May-2000.
Record created on 23-May-1998.
Database last updated on 6-Sep-2001 18:26:00 EDT.
Domain servers in listed order:
NS1.ECLIPSE-COMM.COM 209.75.67.159
NS2.ECLIPSE-COMM.COM 209.75.67.160
Games-wise, it's anticipated HomeStation will play both PC and Xbox titles.
MS is entering some interesting territory, they are COMPETING with their own customers. Compaq, Dell, IBM *also* sell PCs for this purpose... I wonder how they will feel when the XBox v2.0 starts to serve the same functions, in the home setting, as their product.
One of the cardinal rules of business: Never take a product 'direct' to market, and compete with your customers with the product that they BUY FROM YOU. It will leave a bad taste in the mouths of the people who *used* to be your customers.. there will be desire, on their part, to collectively THUMP you.
The Xbox is the single-handedly most astonishingly brash thing MS is doing right now - they are really looking at taking over the Home-PC market. Will XBox v4.0 be a Proprietary Computer? Will MS start selling full featured PC work-a-likes, sure they might call them appliances... but if it smells like a monopoly, and acts like a monopoly....