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Another Xbox Anatomy Lesson

Posted by timothy on from the lookit-th'-extra-ram-space dept.

Keith writes: "Icrontic.com has taken apart, examined, and modified an Xbox. In their latest article, they point out some debugging leads on the Xbox, and a possible USB hack. The Xbox is looking more and more like a PC." A lot of the investigation here is incomplete; watch this space, because it won't be long until Xbox surgery is commonplace.

9 of 495 comments (clear)

  1. Playstation Games? by Nathdot · · Score: 4, Funny

    So if the XBOX is just a PC what are the chances of hacking it so it can use bleem to play playstation (PSX) games.

    It'd be fun to see microsoft embroiled in a copyright dispute from the other side :)

  2. For a site that's so virulently anti-Microsoft... by Wakko+Warner · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...slashdot sure seems to have blown its collective load several times over since the XBox's release.

    - A.P.

    --
    "Remember when the U.S. had a drug problem, and then we declared a War On Drugs, and now you can't buy drugs anymore?"
  3. Re:X term by Henry+Stern · · Score: 3, Funny

    Microsoft X-box: $299
    Linux: free
    Turning a lean, mean, gaming machine into a $20 x-terminal: priceless

  4. Re:X term by Libor+Vanek · · Score: 3, Funny
    BUT in combination with network card you can use this as:

    X server

    DVD 2 DivX grabber :-)

    Beowulf cluster of these for SETI ;-)

  5. Re:Legal Action? by Jburkholder · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Xbox 8 of 42 in sector 47 Alpha reports an unauthorized modification attempt underway!"

    "Initiate counteraction response 1432 Delta!"

    "1432 Delta counteracation successful. Unauthorized technology modification attempt terminated."

    "We are the Borg. All attempts to modify our proprietary technology have been reversed. Your technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance is futile, have a nice day."

  6. Re:X term by samj · · Score: 2, Funny

    The USB has been hacked to prevent the use of standard PC devices. If this has been done well then it'll be very difficult to use Xboxes as X-terminals, but that almost certainly won't stop you from using them as cheap network servers. For example, even if we can't get other OS's running on it, we could just port apache and friends over - all they need is disk and network access. I think the future of the Xbox in non-gaming applications is looking fairly good. I'm definitely looking forward to building and MS sponsored rack full of Xboxes pumping out web pages for me :)

    Having said that it looks like the USB may not be that difficult to hack. I figure the boot process will be the next thing that needs attention.

  7. It's the cheap hardware. by Technician · · Score: 5, Funny

    Slashdot loves hardware that somebody is helping pay for.. It includes everything from hackable bar code scanners (thanks Digital Convergance), pre programmed internet terminals (thanks I-Opener) and now hackable PC hardware (thanks Bill).

    --
    The truth shall set you free!
  8. Re:A Xbox is just a PC by SilentChris · · Score: 3, Funny
    "I don't know what would irk me more, you being an M$ fan w/ a little linux knowledge; or you being a linux user w/ the same mentality as the goatsex link crowd."

    I actually found that link insanely funny. If you're such a low user number and you fall for that old trick... hehe... Hope you're not admining anything important....

  9. Re:Only 8Gb hd? Insane! by Armand28 · · Score: 1, Funny

    I agree! Those Microsoft devils should use larger harddrives, like what's in the GameCube and PS2!!... uh.... nevermind....

    --

    Armand28

    "-LINUX was a good OS, before it became a religion."