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XBox + UltimateTV for $500

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the integration-time-come-on dept.

Daetrin writes "Red Herring reports in this article that Microsoft is planing on combining the XBox with their UltimateTV Recorder with a projected final cost of about $500. The article also talks in some detail about the massive (though partially expected) losses that the XBox is costing Microsoft. There's also another article on Yahoo that sums up what Red Herring said."

6 of 297 comments (clear)

  1. What about upgrade cycles? by Zelet · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Don't people (generally younger people) like to replace their console much more often then they would replace a tv-recorder? It seems to me like you are getting locked in to two separate pieces of hardware that have very different upgrade/replace cycles.

    Also, with dual-use systems you generally save money, but in this case I'm not seeing a huge amount of savings. What are the benefits? Save a little space? What about when you replace your Xbox and have to keep the old one around as your tv-recorder. Maybe I am missing something, but it doesn't seem to make much sense to me.

    --
    ...And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me." - Martin Niemoeller (1892-1984)
  2. The Swiss Army Knife Effect by EXTomar · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Black Aardvark is describing this problem exactly.

    The Swiss Army Knife Effect is when designers see a group of disparate things that have some sort of likeness and try to stick them together. The problem is when you stick them together you get a chimera instead of a value added tool. A Swiss Army Knife may have a screwdriver, a scissor, and a knife but none of them are really that good to use and often times you find yourself looking for the seperate tools to complish your task.

    Could you put together a computer with just your Swiss Army Knife? Sure...the tools are all there but they don't perform as well as finding them tools seperately. You'd be better off gathering the tools and leave the Swiss Army Knife to emergency usage(ie. think MacGyver).

    I am leary of spending $500 for a machine that is that is nearly as good as a Tivo and nearly as good as a console. For me to buy the machine it has to be just as good as both otherwise it is a waste of money.

  3. Re:There's that myth again... by Fred+IV · · Score: 5, Informative

    Nah, Sony hit the break-even point for their hardware investment months ago. They're no longer taking a loss for console sales. Microsoft on the other hand...

    Dont take my word for it...seek the advice of the master:
    Gord speaks

  4. XBox: How long can it defy the laws of economics? by bryanbrunton · · Score: 5, Interesting


    The XBox really really is amazing. Here we have a product that defies the laws of economics. At this point its just a matter of how much money Gates and Ballmer can stand to lose. Its an ego thing. Every other company on the face of the planet would drop a money losing project like the XBox as fast as possible. The world is filled with companies that are not named Microsoft which have stock holders and corporate boards that actually have influence over the decisions of executive management. Not so with Microsoft.

    We all know that XBox is finished in Japan. If Microsoft is lucky they will manage to sell their original shipment of 250,000 Japanese XBoxes before the end of this year.

    http://www.the-magicbox.com

    The XBox is in the process of dying in Europe. Just look at the European software charts. The XBox has just one exclusive game in the top 20:

    http://www.elspa.com

    And now one of MS game developer partners has pressured MS into allowing it to publish title for the Nintendo GameBoy:

    http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/020625/tech_thq_microsof t_ 1.html

    Is there anyone out there who will force Gates and Ballmer to come to their senses? Or would dropping the XBox at this point be such a face losing position for Microsoft that they have no choice but to keep throwing money at it?

  5. Lotsa Money by fm6 · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Jeez, look at those figures. MS has $40 Billion in cash and $30 billion in annual revenue -- one-third of which is profit! At that rate, they can sustain the losses of the X-Box division forever.

    And in fact they sort of need to spend money. It might sound nice to have so much cash lying around, but for a big corporation it can be a nightmare. In the current money market, that $40 Bil will not stay $40 Bil for long. And since they follow the "recycle the profits" model (MS stock does not pay dividends), it's only going to get worse. Better to throw the money at a Blue Sky project and tell the stockholders they're generating long-term growth. Which might even be true.

    But damnit, it's time to drop all the Reagan-era cliches and face facts. That much economic clout in the hands of one company is bad for the whole software industry. Including Microsoft. This is not a free market. Pretending otherwise is like saying Al Capone was just another illicit beer vendor.

  6. Oh my Gawd, you're right! by drew_kime · · Score: 5, Funny

    Imagine, you can still play Halo even when your favorite show is on because its being recorded for you to watch after you've blown some shit up.

    Holy crap, I wish I could do that today. I mean, if I could go out and buy some kind of product that would let me record what's coming in over the cable while I'm using the TV to play games. Something that I could connect inline before the cable goes in to the TV. Something like maybe a freakin' VCR.

    --
    Nope, no sig