Homer: Here's good news! According to this eye-catching article, SAT scores are declining at a slower rate! Lisa: Dad, I think this paper is a flimsy hodgepodge of pie graphs, factoids and Larry King. Homer: Hey, this is the only paper in America that's not afraid to tell the truth, that everything is just fine.
Re:The Most Interesting Quote...
by
HeelToe
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Could this really happen? How would Microsoft deny having a monopoly if they went this route?
With the Bush administration in power they don't have to worry about denying any monopoly. No one in the justice department cares.
Re:The Most Interesting Quote...
by
Babbster
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
"Could" it happen? Sure. Is it going to happen? I don't know and neither does the person quoted. Every argument like this smacks to me of someone who simply wants to justify doing whatever s/he wants to do. It's like people arguing that they download MP3s because CDs are too expensive - if a CD is too expensive to purchase, how does that give you the right to steal it (yes, I use the word "steal" despite all the arguments about copyright being civil law and that copying supposedly isn't the same as stealing).
That's not to say that I think people shouldn't be able to mod their Xboxen. As long as the person modding isn't pirating software then I myself don't see the big deal. But that quote from the article reads like the kind of paranoid spouting off that we read every day from posters on Slashdot...to those people, EVERYTHING is a "slippery slope."
The truth is that I think Microsoft wants to "lock down" the Xbox hardware so that people can't play pirated games and not as some sort of diabolical plot that has something to do with Windows, Office and the Illuminati. I consider their stance on this matter reasonable (though maybe not defensible) considering that any money they make from the Xbox comes from software licensing.
Yeah, $336 is nice for a PC and all, now if it can just be hacked to play video games, I'm sold!!
-- We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
$336 with a 120GB disk
by
drinkypoo
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
Which is unnecessary and/or overkill for most applications. The 8GB disk will fulfill most users' needs because their media library can be stored on their PC (A more logical place for a large expensive disk than a cheapass little piece of consumer trash - I like my Xbox a lot but I don't think I necessarily trust it.)
Make that more like $236, with no disk upgrade, which as I mentioned before is unnecessary. Actually, I think it will cost you a little MORE than that, though. It's $30 for a decent modchip, something that's updatable from a CD. You also have to pay shipping on cables to hook up USB, or you have to make cables out of Xbox extension cables and USB extension cables, which probably ain't much cheaper. Also, to get digital audio out of it you have to spend another $20. (That also gets you S-Video, though, it even comes with an S-Video cable to get you started... it's lousy but it works.)
Then again, you can get an Xbox used for $130. So maybe it's actually not so expensive. Why buy an Xbox with a warranty if you're just going to void it anyway?
-- "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Re:$336 with a 120GB disk
by
loucura!
·
· Score: 5, Informative
You don't need the modchip though, you just need a copy of 007:something or another, and you can buffer-overflow your way into it.
You can also, after using the buffer-overflow exploit upgrade the firmware in the bios by soldering two of the pins (I'm no X-Box hacker, so I'll not try to say which). So, you won't need a modchip.
You can get the 007 game at blockbuster for five bucks...
-- Black and grey are both shades of white.
Re:$336 with a 120GB disk
by
SharpFang
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
Why buy an Xbox with a warranty if you're just going to void it anyway?
Maybe because if there IS warranty, you may be pretty sure the box is not broken? But in the other hand, you can buy an used Xbox with a warranty that's about-to-expire and get just enough time to test if you should make use of the warranty and take the xbox to service or void it safely...
The guy's got a point. Wait till Dell runs a sale and you can score a P-4 2.x GHz machine loaded, for about $450, sans monitor. That's just over $100 more than the X-Box, and look at the difference. Of course, that would make this whole 'Hacking the X-Box' appear to be a worthless waste of time...
Wait a second...
USA TODAY "research"
by
Alpha_Nerd
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· Score: 5, Insightful
Just because there's been 150,000 copies donloaded doesn't mean 150,000 XBoxen have been modded. I'm sure there's people who have downloaded it and not installed it(I do that to software often =/)and on the flip side I'm sure there's peopel who DL it and install on multiple. I'd take a guess and say the former is more common than the latter.
And to the idiot that said XBox games look like Quake 2, well you're just that - an idiot. The XBox is the technically superior system. It also IMO has the best controler - too bad it's games suck =/
Re:USA TODAY "research"
by
TheNetAvenger
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
The small 's' controller is now standard in new XBox machines sold in the US now. It has been for quite a while.
I also prefer the smaller S controller, and you can trade in your 'big' original controller and pick up an 'S' controller for not much money.
Go to someplace like GameCrazy (in most hollywood Video stores) and trade in the 'Big' controller for credit towards the 'S' controller.
I traded in my PS1 with a few games and had enough credit to get a Refurbished XBOX with 1 year no question GameCrazy warranty and a couple of games.
BTW Buffy, Halo, and Castle Wolfenstein on the XBOX look and play awesome.
Wolfenstein is well done, taking advantage of the XBox's graphics and is so smooth and fluid, reminded me of the good old Doom days on a descent PC. (Except the graphics now look almost real.)
The following is being offered free of charge to all those who feel the need to troll the Slashdot Games section. newsgroup. Please print out a copy and keep it with you at all times. If you follow these simple steps, you trolling is guaranteed to improve.
If a game is currently on PS2 and there are plans to bring it out on the Xbox, make sure to claim that no one will want to play that game by the time it gets to the Xbox. For example, by the time Virtua Fighter 4/GTA3 comes to the Xbox, we'll all be playing something new.
Use the reverse logic if it is a game only on the Xbox that may be ported to other systems/PC later. Case in point, Halo. Say something to the effect of "I'll wait for the true version of Halo on the PC". "It will be much better than the Xbox version".
Constantly complain about FPS on consoles ACCEPT for Goldeneye.
Always use Bill Gates name. Act as if he is the one making the games. By all means, if you run out of clever or interesting things to troll about, just bring up Mr Gates. Lots of people hate him and will be glad to agree with you.
Complain about the XBox controller. Even if you have never seen or used it, it won't matter. People will believe you when you say it's big. Be sure and try to provide a testimonial about your wife or girlfriend or kid who complains about the size of it. Also claiming to be injured by the controller can be the foundation of a great troll post.
When referring to the Xbox, try to scew the name a bit. Xblox, eggs bocks, the stupider the name, the more favorable of a response you will get.
Be sure and mention Japanese and European sales numbers. If you aren't sure what those sales numbers are, go ahead and make something up. Estimate low, most people will believe you.
Although Xbox owners seem to enjoy there games, make sure to comment on Xbox not having any games with good gameplay. Although the Xbox does share some ports with PS2 and Gamecube, it's okay to assume that the Xbox version of those ports has poor gameplay as well.
Since the Xbox has nice graphics, be sure and find a way to put a negative spin on this. Using the age old formula that states if a game has nice graphics, it must have terrible gameplay, you can convince people that Xbox games are all tech demos.
Defective Xbox stories are excellent to use in trolling. The best part is that they require no proof. I find that "the screen just froze up" works great. Occasionally you can use something really bizarre like "My friend bought an Xbox and it caught on fire and burned down there house. Now they are homeless. F*** Bill Gates."
When all else fails, lie. There are lots of people who will agree with you just because they hate MS.
Re:X-Box Troll Handbook
by
UserChrisCanter4
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
The only good games for the XBox are out for the other systems, except for Halo which i was not impressed with
I own all three of the current-gen systems, and every one of the XBox games I own are "XBox-exclusive". Halo is a great game, but you might also check out Buffy (basically a 3D Double Dragon with a decent storyline), Panzer Dragoon, Jet Grind Radio, Mech Assault, and Dead or Alive 3 (if fighting games are your thing).
Dead or Alive 3 was the only game I was interested in at launch (I was a fan of the prior games), and I put off buying the XBox until early last summer. Although I'd still recommend a GC or PS2 to someone who only wants one console (A PS2 would be my first inclination), the Xbox is a really solid game machine.
Re:X-Box Troll Handbook
by
Psychor
·
· Score: 5, Funny
I bought an Xblox the other day, and I wish I hadn't. I guess the poor sales number should have warned me (since they only sold 3000 EggsBlockses in Europe, and 12 in Japan). I don't know what Bill Gates was thinking when he designed the controller, but it really hurts my hands. It's way too big!
I was playing a game with it once, and it started vibrating, jumped right out of my hands, and severely wounded a small child. Also, it's strained my fingers so much, I'm starting to have problems 'viewing' my Natalie Portman image collection! I'm going to sue Bill Gates!
Sure, some of the games may have nice graphics, but the gameplay is absolutely shocking. I tried to play Halo, but it's nothing but a tech demo! You may not believe this, but it's actually impossible to shoot! I played for five minutes, and couldn't kill anything at all, so I took the game back to the shop. It has nothing on Goldeneye. I'm going to wait for the PC version, which should be much better.
Also, my son really wanted me to buy a console, so that he could play GTA3, so imagine my surprise when I found out it was not yet released on the Xbox! He had to undergo therapy for several weeks - but I'll get the money back from Bill Gates when I sue him.
I'm going to sell my XSocks on Ebay now. It'll probably cost me a lot in shipping, because it's really heavy. Bill Gates designed it that way, because he likes to hit immigrants over the head with his. I'll never buy another M$ product!
Re:X-Box Troll Handbook
by
TheNetAvenger
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
#3 You haven't played Castle Wolfenstein on the XBOX - obviously. Halo is a great game with great game play, especially in the upper levels with vehicles.
#5 The Original controller is large, but it is NO longer being shipped with XBoxes, they moved to the S Controller like 8 months ago. And again, if you already have the large controller, trade it for an S controller at any GameCrazy for a few dollars difference.
#7 This is a first version console, of course it will lag in sales compared to two console makers that have dominated the market since the mid 80s. But considering it is out selling GameCube, the former US leader, is quite a good sign.
#8 Buffy is great XBox game available no where else, the moves, fighting and character play are truly above most games. Also Kung Fu Chaos and several other titles are out there that are XBox Only.
You will also see several XBox and PC only games - XBOX being the only console release. (Hence XBox game development is just an expansion of DirectX for Windows - so of course there are many PC XBox cross overs - it is very easy for developers to make a PC game and basically add the XBox interface requirements to it.)
Also notice that many of the 'better' games being released are coming out on the XBox months before they are being released on other platforms. Castle Wolfenstein is out for XBox, and just now getting ready for release on PS2 (with quite a drop in frame rate and graphics on the PS2 as well)
#10 Having a good friend that is in the Gamer world professionally, I have heard of a few XBox with bad DVD drives. The lockups are from the drive having trouble reading the disk. Trust me it is not the Win2k core crashing. And it is still better than the number of people he has encountered that have had their PS2's literally catch on fire. (No joke)
Hope your 'friend' enjoys their GameCube, they have several nice titles, but playing a game like BaldersGate on the GameCube after playing it on the XBox made me realize how slow the GameCube can be, and how much graphic detail is lost.
The same can be said for cross plat titles that I have played on XBox and then play on the PS2, the graphics are usually lower quality, the load times are 5 times longer than the XBox and even the frame rates suffer on high polygon scenes. Reference Enter the Matrix for a good example, the PS2 version is jerky, and the scene load times are terrible. It is just too bad they textured the game at the PS2 level and not the XBox level, it could have looked more impressive with by taking advantage of the XBox's graphics capabilities. Even Buffy has better graphics and gameplay, but whoops, it is an XBox only title.:)
BTW, since my friend 'is' in the gamer business, I have all three systems. So I have no 'proud owner' bias. The XBox is by far ahead of the other two in performance, graphics, and gameplay.
Nothing but the truth...
Re:X-Box Troll Handbook
by
blincoln
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
#8 - The only good games for the XBox are out for the other systems,
No. Steel Battalion is reason enough to own an XBox, and it will never be released for anything else.
-- "...always new atoms but always doing the same dance, remembering what the dance was yesterday." -Richard Feynman
I believe all of these should fall into the "fair use" catagory. If Microsoft doesn't interfere with any of this alleged "illegal hacking" projects, they could sell those Xboxes like hot cakes. More people would buy them since they'll have more than one use. Since more people would buy an Xbox to say run Linux on them or what not, they could also use it to play games! That way games will be sold and Microsoft would make money of it since the publishers have to pay a royalts to MS.
Also, whatever you do to the Xbox should be considered fair use. When you mess with the hardware, all that MS should be able to do is deny you warrany. Car manufacturers already do this. Think of the people that modify their cars and put in turbos and superchargers. If/when their engine craps out, the dealership or whatever doesn't have to cover anything since what you did to your car has voided your warrany.
My point is MS has no right to take any legal action against any of these "illegal hacking" projects and should just leave them alone. Fair use is fair use.
this is the subject line
by
deadsaijinx*
·
· Score: 4, Funny
1) sell at great loss to undercut competition 2) still not beat competition 3) ??? 4) total domination and billions of $$$
i REEEEAALLLY wish i knew step 3
-- YOU SUCK BALLS!
Meanwhile, a LEGAL and FUNCTIONAL PC
by
Bold+Marauder
·
· Score: 3, Informative
which runs the Linux OS can be had from wal-mart for >$100 less.
I'm sorry, I don't see the appeal of this?
Re:Meanwhile, a LEGAL and FUNCTIONAL PC
by
InvaderXimian
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
The Xbox is actually a much better machine than those computers found in Wal-Mart. Hell, even the graphics card itself is faster than most of the CPUs inside the Wal-Mart computers.
The appeal behind all of this is that because MS released a "locked down" computer, please wanted to circumvent around those security devices and prove something to other. Also, its fun, you can show off, and its a good time waster.
Re:Meanwhile, a LEGAL and FUNCTIONAL PC
by
Twister002
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· Score: 4, Insightful
and you'll have a point once you are able to run Xbox games natively in Linux.
Right now, the biggest complaint about Linux is "not enough games" (ok, maybe not the biggest, but one of the reasons that a lot of people are dual-booting). Once you can install Linux on your gaming console (PS2 or Xbox) you remove that reason for dual-booting. Now you've got a functioning Linux PC that you can reboot and use to play games with.
What's the difference between that and dual-booting? Well for one thing you only have to maintain one OS installation instead of 2.
-- "For a successful technology, honesty must take precedence over public relations for nature cannot be fooled." -Feynman
Re:Meanwhile, a LEGAL and FUNCTIONAL PC
by
Tenebrious1
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· Score: 4, Insightful
which runs the Linux OS can be had from wal-mart for >$100 less.
I'm sorry, I don't see the appeal of this?
Not that we haven't gone over this a thousand times on/., but:
XBox- Great graphics to a TV (which most people already have). Great stereo output.
WalMart PC- crappy video, crappy sound, cheap components all around. Still need to buy a monitor. Only available through mail order, that's at least $30 shipping (plus tax since Wal-Mart has a physical presence in your state). Doesn't fit in TV console, doesn't look good sitting on top of VCR. Doesn't play DVDs. Doesn't play xbox games. Doesn't play many games at all. Need to get IR mouse/kb or you can't use it from the couch.
You're probably too young to remember this, but the reasons the Commodore 64 sold so well was it was much cheaper than other computers, but mostly because you could plug it right into the TV. The IBM PCjr selling for $1000 was too expensive for most people, but a C64 and tape drive could be had for $200 (or less!) and plugged right into the TV. That's what introduced millions of us to computers- the fact we didn't need to buy an expensive monitor. And the awesome COLOR graphics, sound, the the sheer number of games available, put the C64 into many homes. Oh, and most retailers were willing to sell the C64 at a loss to get customers in to buy the accessories and games.
If MS were to market a "game" that consisted of Windows, Word and Excel, with a cheap xbox printer, I think it could create a HUGE market for the xbox, similar what happened with the C64.
-- -- If god wanted me to have a sig, he'd have given me a sense of humor.
Re:Why teh X-Box sucks
by
porkface
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
My Xbox games from launch look better than even the newest games on my PS2 and Gamecube.
Xbox has had well documented periods where no good new games were released, but that's not a reason why the Xbox itself sucks. I've managed to find enough good (some great) games to make my Xbox purchase worth my while. Halo, for example, while being released before level design was finished, is still a smashing game. It single handedly proved FPSes can be great on a console.
Maybe I'm happy because I fall into that 10% catagory you mention, but to be fair, Nintendo has historically done a far worse job of making games for a wide audience than what Microsoft has done here, and Nintendo STILL has a long way to go. And Microsoft has some good MMORPG and RPG shit coming to help the cause. So sure Sony is the leader in game variety and overall game quality, but Microsoft isn't the runt of the litter by any means. Lack of games isn't all that big a deal for Xbox owners.
Online gameplay. Xbox Live wins hands down. At least Sony did SOMETHING, and that something works, but it's not on the same level.
So I fail to see how you can say the Xbox sucks so badly when it has the best hardware, and the best online setup. You didn't make very many points for me to draw comparisons on, but that's what I got. And your comparison of the Xbox to an Alienware isn't of interest to me. I can't Jabba The Hut it on the couch with an Alienware. Furthermore, that's apples and oranges.
-video out quality isn't as good (nvidia's video out sucks, ati's is good but not as good as xbox) -it's louder -it's bigger -it doesn't fit in with your other home entertainment stuff -no optical digital output -no rgb output -slower boot time
If you want to spend 5-600$ or so for a loaded shuttle XPC (i got the nforce one) and another 100$ for a scan converter with component output, another 100$ for swank logitech wireless keyboard and optical mouse, then you'll have something worth comparing. This is almost exactly what I have, and it's nice. My only main complaint is the noise of the fan, but I have it hidden under my home entertainment system.
But saying a cheap system will do the same is naive.
You expect them to compete fairly?
by
Viewsonic
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Of course they're losing money for every unit sold. In some countries this is called "dumping" which is illegal. I'm curious why no one has spanked them on this issue. Nintendo has always stated that their systsme costs under 100 to make, and no one really knows about Sony, but it's safe to assume they're making a profit as well.
Re:You expect them to compete fairly?
by
GMontag
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
As far as getting spanked for spiking or dumping, that is an international trade issue and is only brought up when the country getting the dumped goods complains/puts up trade barriers.
I don't really know of anything in the US that prevents having a loss-leader ofr a product line (but there may be something out there).
Even GM did it with their X-body(?) cars in the 80's. If you bought one "base" it cost you less than it cost them. As soon as you started adding options (including GMAC financing), they started running a profit.
I got a PC with an Athlon 1700+, 20 GB HD, and 128 MB or RAM for $250, and about $30 of that was shipping. You can even upgrade to a real video card(integrated shared vram by default) cheaper than the $336 they estimate.
Denying monopoly
by
TrekkieGod
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· Score: 2, Insightful
How would Microsoft deny having a monopoly if they went this route?
By replacing the words "lock down" with "trusted computing"
--
Warning: Opinions known to be heavily biased.
Because consoles are not about GFX or Online....
by
Viewsonic
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
It's about FUN GAMES. Period. Something which Nitnendo has been dominating Sony and Microsoft since the early 80s. Nothing has ever sold more than Mario and Zelda. You mention HALO, that's fine.. What else is there? Nothing... Thats why! You can give crap games all the online stuff in the world and they'll still be a crap game. In online gaming on the PC where people are used to playing againts thousands of users, 8-24 player deathmatch is simply lacking, they shouldn't even bother. Just my lame opinion, I know.. But yes, Microsoft is the runt of the three, they have no idea what they're doing, so they've gone the route of "hey, lets make this thing JUST like the computer I own already and see if anyone notices!"..
Healthy competition
by
TrekkieGod
·
· Score: 2, Funny
On the same page as the article explaining how you can have a really compact PC for $336 by modding the x-box is an advertisement for Dell computers with free shipping.
That gets me thinking...maybe Microsoft needs to abandon the whole losing money on the xbox to compete with the playstation 2 strategy and start charging more for it and advertise the modding--and compete with companies such as Dell and Gateway:)
--
Warning: Opinions known to be heavily biased.
Did ya get the memo?
by
miu
·
· Score: 4, Informative
If Microsoft doesn't interfere with any of this alleged "illegal hacking" projects, they could sell those Xboxes like hot cakes.
Why would they want that? They make money from
Live subscriptions and game sales. People who
mod their XBox are unlikely to purchase either.
I agree that anyone who purchases an XBox should
be free to do with it what they want, but to claim
that mods are in Microsoft's best interest is
wrong.
MS will continue to support legislation that
makes modifying these units illegal.
--
[Set Cain on fire and steal his lute.]
Re:Did ya get the memo?
by
cygnus
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
Why would they want that? They make money from Live subscriptions and game sales. People who mod their XBox are unlikely to purchase either.
people who buy xboxes for hacking are infinitely more likely to buy games (or xbox live) than someone who never bought an xbox at all.
The irony is that although Microsoft sell you the hardware, you still can't run Windows* on it, just Linux.
Nice to see that Microsoft are taking the whole antitrust thing seriously and rolling out subsidised Linux based terminals:o)
*Yes, except for the cut down version of the 2K kernel it ships with, I know.
-- Beep beep.
Re:The most interesting quote from the article?
by
zutroy
·
· Score: 2, Informative
Did you actually read the article?
That quote is attributed to a kid who runs an XBox hacking site. What you're doing here is akin to saying "someone on Slashdot said that Microsoft is going to lock down PCs! How is Microsoft denying this?!?"
Not that I don't agree with the sentiment, but this quote doesn't come from anyone associated with Microsoft.
Hacking the XBox can hardly be called "a worthless waste of time." Anytime a person has enough curiousity and know-how to crack open the case of a computer/appliance/gadget; ESPECIALLY one manufactured by such a hated company as Microsoft; and tinker around with it to gain a better understanding of the device or to improve/change its function is NOT A WASTE OF TIME.
We need more curious minded people if we are ever going to grow as a society. We need to understand the computers and devices that we depend on in the 21st century. Otherwise we be just as better off in the Dark Ages.
I can just see it now
by
Timesprout
·
· Score: 5, Funny
in 10 years when Redhat has achieved total domination and released their new home entertainment system there will be a rush to see who will be the first to port win2010 to it and then posting to cfullcolon to brag about their l33t skillz and demanding the right to be allowed install the home entertainment systems as their car stereo if they so choose without being forced to make their car available to anyone who wants to drive it under the terms of the new Redhat GPL
-- Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth What truth? There is no dupe
But it does highlight the complexity of Microsoft's struggles to make its products more secure. Because Xbox has so much capability...
You'd think that MS would embrace this community and use thier advances as a selling point for the X-Box. Maybe they could make software of this type an official release. The whole idea of the media hub seems to be what most companies are moving towards today, so you would think that MS would want software of this type running on its system.
-- SIGFAULT
US Army likes XBox
by
Alain+Williams
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
See BBC News today, they have a war game that runs on one. Is this preparation for dealing with those individuals that won't run a M$ operating system ?
A new (and better) WebTV?
by
Angry+Pixie
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
Ona quick note, Microsoft doesn't mind hacking the Xbox to make it into something more; if fact, MS wants that done... but not right now... and not by someone who hasn't been licensed to develop software/hardware.
I've watched a week-long dedication to hacking the XBox on TechTV a little while ago, and I saw Windows Media Player on the thing. I don't own any console, but what does XBox run OS-wise? Is it Windows CE or some mutant form of it?
Can I get a keyboard, web browser, a dialup modem, and maybe have a better WebTV? If it can run Linux, does that mean I can install Slackware straight from CD?
Re:A new (and better) WebTV?
by
TheNetAvenger
·
· Score: 2, Informative
The XBox runs the Windows 2000/NT core with a version of DirectX that is on par with DirectX8.
However, you don't get Explorer and the other GUI applications of Win2k.
WindowsCE has some NT Core concepts in it, but it is another OS entirely.
dont understand..
by
segfault_0
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
While it says it will attack hackers on a case-by-case basis, analysts say the company has so far tolerated the Xbox hacking as an unavoidable nuisance.
Alright, im still having trouble with people selling others hardware products with the intentions of them using it for a specific purpose - and then suddenly its a punishable offense that they are going "attack". What business is it of theirs what I do with my XBox?
If these machines come with these kinds of restrictions I think we're still getting ripped off at 180$ a box. Im on my way to buy an XBox to modify just for spite.:P
--
I was crazy back when being crazy really meant something.
(Charles Manson)
Re:Here's a wacked out idea...
by
demonbug
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
Great idea. Lets waste our money so MS might lose some. Of course, considering they have $40 billion odd in cash lying around (at least, I think I remember hearing something like that), we're going to have to buy a hell of a lot of X-boxes. Lets see, something like 400,000,000 of them I think (assuming they lose $100 a console). Somehow I don't think that is going to work.
Re:Hmm, a troll about trolling.
by
TheNetAvenger
·
· Score: 2, Funny
Since we are policing grammar, should I point out the mistakes in your post as well?
Maybe I can start with the fragmented sentence or the incorrect comma usage?
Intelligence without tolerance is the ultimate oxymoron. - Unknown TheNetAvenger
Did it every occur to anybody..
by
rufusdufus
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
Did it every occur to anybody that maybe Microsoft really wants people to hack X-box? They want it to become hip-to-hack. This is the sort of grassroots cool they really hunger for. Basically, the hackers create a hip new market and what the heck can MS do but jump on the bandwagon? After all their goal all along is not to make a game platform, but to build a more ubiquitous computer platform.
The heck with the Xbox PC, I'm getting me some Xbox Sized fries!
Re:$336 gets you a complete system from Dell.
by
jonsmirl
·
· Score: 3, Informative
I got this one from Dell for $339 a couple of weeks ago. It is expired now but new ones come out all of the time. No way does it cost $336 to make an XBox.
Another new low price for the Dimension 4550. Dell is trying to boost their quarterly earnings which ends this month.
Dell Small Business has the Dimension 4550 2.53GHz Desktop for $339 after $200 rebate. It has AGP Slot, 4 PCI Slots, Intel 845PE chipset, 256MB DDR, 30GB HD, 48x CDRW or 16x DVD, 32MB Rage, Integrated NIC & Audio, XP Home, WordPerfect, and 1yr warranty.
1. Go to Dell Small Business.
2. Click on "Featured Systems" under the Dimension 4550 column.
3. Click on "Customize It" under the "Advanced Technology" column.
4. Select the following options:
* SPECIAL OFFER! 256MB 333MHz DDR SDRAM for the price of 128MB!
* FREE UPGRADE!! 16x Max DVD-ROM Drive OR
FREE UPGRADE! New 48x/24x/48x Max CD-RW Drive
5. Optional suggested upgrades:
* Pentium® 4 Processor at 2.66GHz w/533MHz front side bus/ 512K L2 Cache [add $20 or $0.75/month1]
* SAVE $100! New 4x DVD+RW/+R Drive w/CD-RW [add $80 or $3/month1] SAVE $100!!
* 64MB DDR NVIDIA GeForce4 MX(TM) Graphics Card with TV-Out [add $30 or $1/month1]
6. Continue to check out. Price should be $599.
7. Apply coupon code 4491A592C8BB for 10% off.
8. Send in the $200 rebate.
Final price is $599 - 10% ($60) - $200 rebate = $339 + tax w/ free shipping. The 2.53GHz CPU alone costs $184 at NewEgg.
Oh. You mean like a Mac?
by
KalvinB
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
Seriously. MS comming out with a proprietary PC has nothing to do with being a monopoly.
Unless they prevent me from building my own systems and running whatever I want on them, there's not an issue.
I wouldn't be shocked if MS came out with a WindowsPC. If they can put together a good PC at a good price, great for them.
Re:Because consoles are not about GFX or Online...
by
TheNetAvenger
·
· Score: 2, Informative
Disagree, I actually own several XBox titles, and I have access through one of my clients to rent games for free as much as I like through the local video store.
Buffy, Kungfu Chaos, MechAssault, Halo, Castle Wolfensten, BaldersGate, etc, etc.
Halo isn't the 'only' good XBox game out there or I would just rent them when I wanted to play instead of buying them. Trust me...
No, Pandemic likes XBox...
by
Svartalf
·
· Score: 2, Informative
The article said, and I quote,
"A combat simulator developed to train grunts in discipline and manoeuvres is being adapted for the Xbox games console."
This doesn't mean that the Army's using X-Boxes as you're implying. It only means that Pandemic's making an X-Box version of the simulation based upon the Army's version that they supplied.
-- I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
Has anyone tried running Windows XP Embedded on an xbox? I've been working with XPe for about a week, and frankly I'm pretty impressed with the ability to select/deselect components of the OS (don't want IE, don't include IE), but it seems it would be something that someone has tested on a 'box.
'box?!?! 'box?!?! C'mon! You're only contracting one freakin' letter! And come to think of it, by replacing the uppercase "X" with an apostrophe, you're not even saving yourself any keystrokes! =)
</anal>
-- "Yeah, well, Dracula called and he's coming over tonight for you and I said okay."
I hacked my PS2 to run Linux (:
by
LoudMusic
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
If I had a good reason to hack an XBox I'd do it, but as it stands, it's best for playing video games. It would be fun to buy a bunch of XBoxes, mod them, and continue to screw Microsoft, though. Oh well.
It would appear to be a worthless waste of time if you didn't want to also use it as an Xbox. Even so it isn't really, the portability makes it attractive, as you can treat it like just another home stereo item.
Also, as I have pointed out elsewhere; If you're going to hack it you need to open it, which invalidates your warranty. You might as well get a used xbox for $130 or refurb for $150; I don't know if those prices have gone down since the Xbox dropped to $180. A used Xbox is at least $50 cheaper than a new one, and if you're not going to use the controller (perhaps even cutting up the cable in order to make your adapter to plug in a USB hub) then you won't care that it's not the newer Controller S, which can save you some money.
So; You don't need a modchip if you rent that 007 game, you can get a used one; That's $70 off the listed price. You could get a cheaper hard disk, too, or just not bother to get one, and read everything across the network, that will save you $120, for $190 off the $336, which brings us to $146. I bet for $200 you could also get a (crappy but functional) wireless USB-connected keyboard/mouse in there if you found a deal, but let's call it $250 for a decent one. That's a pretty good price on a box like that, which incidentally is STILL an Xbox, which has some value of its own IMO.
-- "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Re:Oh. You mean like a Mac?
by
kuma
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
take your head out of your ass, please.
if i wanted to, i could easily load four different linux/bsd distro's on an off-the-shelf mac
what the original post was talking about is: how do you use linux, mac os x or solaris on your desktop in a world where every email in your organization (including the ones about brownies in the kitchen) *requires* palladium to read?
every hard-core tech could be forced to keep a windows computer on their desk (like me) even though their primary development platform is completely different
and then be forced to justify using the optimal platform for their job because it's not *standard* (and challenges tech support's ciphincter grip on the enterprise desktop environment)
"Viola" is Spanish for...
by
yerricde
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· Score: 2, Funny
Viola is an instrument.
"Viola" is also Spanish for "he rapes", as in raping Microsoft for $100 when buying an Xbox console.
just bought one ...
by
timothy
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· Score: 2, Interesting
I paid $150 for a used Xbox from an EB Games in Florida, and (not technically part of the Xbox, but now intimately connected;)) a clip-on LCD screen from intec. That was also $150, so, so far I've spent $300, but I know I need to purchase at least one more thing, which is either a modchip or a memory thingie loaded with the buffer-overflow code from the 007 game.
The reason I spent so much for a (tiny -- 5.4") LCD screen is that (so I was told by the EB clerk, at least:)) the xbox won't run without a video output connected, and I bought this to run in my car.
(Pawn-shopping, I might have found one cheaper, but... EB I figure has a decent reputation, and if the box was broke, I'd have better luck there than at Ed's Pawn & Guns.)
I have already downloaded one live-ISO distro for the thing (dynebolic); until I have a modchip, though, it's just a clunky but surprisingly good-sounding CD player. (The speakers on the intec screen are not outstanding, but they're decent for my tin ears.)
Why an xbox for the car? You don't have to agree with my reasoning, or taste (of which I have none), but my thoughts go like this:
1) I want a CD player for the car. I don't have one, and I happen to like my head unit (an oldish but *old* Blaupunkt system with a simple, logical control layout and a line-in), so I'd rather not pay for a CD head unit. (I also think most of them have terrible control layouts, just really bizarre design decisions.) CD player is for some music, and for the audiobooks that Cracker Barrel conveniently stocks for $3/week;)
2) I'd like an ogg player for the car. I've been compressing my CD collection to ogg, and it's a lot simpler to carry 3 CD-Rs than 30 CDs.
3) When stopped (or for passengers) I think a video screen is neat in a car. Futurama in DiVX, for instance. Frivolous? Yes. I would not like to spend thousands of dollars on a video system, but as a nudge toward the xbox as a possible do-everything car computer, it works.
4) With a USB hub attached and a GNU/Linux system installed, I'm hoping I can hook up a web cam and use is as a low-tech DVR for the car.
I don't care too much about games per se, and will probably be using a no-solder modchip with the Cromwell BIOS, so Xbox games are probably out, but Frozen Bubble...
If anyone would like to offer a memory card with the hack that makes a modchip unnecessary (for a fair price), let me know quick, before I order a regular modchip:)
Re:Because consoles are not about GFX or Online...
by
Cirvam
·
· Score: 2, Informative
Didn't Castle Wolfensten (assuming you mean RTCW as the original wouldn't say much for the Xbox's power) and Baulders Gate first come out for the PC? So really they aren't exactly original titles...whereas most of the titles for the other consoles either are exclusive to consoles or they come out for the PC a few months/years later (GTA3).
Modchips don't have to be illegal
by
timothy
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
rsilvergun wrote: Still, I don't like the idea of relying on something so patently illegal (note: I said illegal, not immoral) as modchips.
I know you also said "[xbox hacking] provides a real, legit, fair use reason for modchips," but I don't think your first statement is correct. A modchip loaded with an illegally BIOS would be illegal -- but for one that's blank, or loaded with the Cromwell BIOS, I don't know why that should be true.
And on that note, a no-solder modchip with the Cromwell bios seems like a reasonable enough upgrade -- less than the cost of the ethernet module for a Dreamcast:)
Re:Because consoles are not about GFX or Online...
by
rhuntley12
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· Score: 2, Informative
You have to realize, like you said nintendo has been in the market for a LONG time. MS just joined not long ago, and for being a newcomer, they are doing fairly well. They would go under imo if they didn't have the windows money backing them. Granted lately there haven't been a whole lot of games coming out, let alone for any systems. They don't have the amount of games that Sony has, or the 'figureheads' Nintendo has.(Mario, Zelda, Metroid, etc)
But one of the smartest things they are doing, and doing better then Sony and Nintendo, is Xbox Live. It's incredible compared to the other two. I suggest you pickup xbl, unreal championship and wolfenstein. And sports games if you like, but I enjoy wolf and unreal.
Also, look at some titles MS has coming out, from Rare too, some amazing games coming out.
They wont kill Nintendo or Sony, but I think given some time they will be a huge contender. And I think XBL by next year will be huge. By then they will have many many more titles, and lots more downloadable content. I mean how much does getting free level in Splinter Cell own?
. . . that/.'ers who are generally opposed to M$'s monopolistic business tactics rush to buy Xboxes. I know the usual arguments is "M$ loses money for each one sold," but it seems people are actually buying games for their systems too.
I'm guessing you enjoy M$ dominating yet another industry?
The XBOX is a DRM (digital rights management) PC type system, not a standard boot-any-x86-OS PC. Hacking on this hardware is nothing like hacking on standard x86 stuff.
I think you meant to say that hacking the XBOX is a waste of your time. Also, the XBOX won't have a killer app. Apps are traditional applications and the XBOX runs games. As long as MS wants to sell these things cheaper than the cost of manufacture, people will want to buy it to potentially replace low end PCs, can't say I blame them.
I bet MS appreciates your attempt to slow the hacking of the XBOX, however little it may help.
--
Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. - Mark Twain
Re:Why teh X-Box sucks
by
Entropy_ah
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· Score: 2, Insightful
It single handedly proved FPSes can be great on a console. no, goldeneye 007 for the n64 proved that. ask any college student
-- my other penis is a vagina
Re:XBox hackers are wasting everyone's time.
by
cscx
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
I respect the "because it's there" mentality of getting Linux to run on anything
Unfortunately I don't think the 'because it's there' thought process will get anyone very far. At some point someone needs to realize that their time is worth more than needlessly wasting it on disassembling something with no value to them in the future whatsoever. I could take my television apart because I can as well; however outside of "WHOO HOO I TOOK APART MY TV!!! I AM SO SMART!" there is no socially redeeming value whatsoever. Just think what ELSE you could be doning with your time.
I think much of this X-Box shite has to do with the "sticking it to the man" beef that everyone around here seems to have with Microsoft. But seriously, they are not taking a cut anymore, I can pretty much assure you of that. Sure people could run Linux on their toaster if they really wanted to, but there is no socially redeeming value to doing that either.
Tired of people that do not know arithmetic
by
jotaeleemeese
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· Score: 2, Insightful
If you don't buy anything related to the Xbos MS earns 0, nada, zilch, nil.
If you buy only the Xbox they are recouping 140 or wahtever dollars. Do the maths wise one.
Now, don't be stupid. This argument is the most idiotic one in the history of/.
If you want to hurt MS don't buy their products. If you want to hurt them even more, don't use their products at all (i.e. don't buy second hand, don't pirate stuff you criminal, drop their stuff as fast as you can).
I try to avoid people with shoddy legal and ethical records when making business. MS is no different on this respect.
Slashdot Mirror
From USA Today? USA... friggin... Today?
.... still losing money on each of these things?
Get your own free personal location tracker
The xbox has replaced my dreamcast as the emulator box of choice, i already have a few nice computers :)
quick swap of the stock hd for a nice 80gig, throw on your emulators and roms, and viola, punch out courtesy of ms.
Microsoft's attempt to "lock down" the Xbox's parts is a prelude to using similar techniques to keep PCs from running anything but Windows.
Could this really happen? How would Microsoft deny having a monopoly if they went this route?
Very popular slashdot journal for adul
XBox running non MS software. How much more elite can that be? It poses an interesting question. Can we make it run GL?
Something like this
45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
Yeah, $336 is nice for a PC and all, now if it can just be hacked to play video games, I'm sold!!
We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
Make that more like $236, with no disk upgrade, which as I mentioned before is unnecessary. Actually, I think it will cost you a little MORE than that, though. It's $30 for a decent modchip, something that's updatable from a CD. You also have to pay shipping on cables to hook up USB, or you have to make cables out of Xbox extension cables and USB extension cables, which probably ain't much cheaper. Also, to get digital audio out of it you have to spend another $20. (That also gets you S-Video, though, it even comes with an S-Video cable to get you started... it's lousy but it works.)
Then again, you can get an Xbox used for $130. So maybe it's actually not so expensive. Why buy an Xbox with a warranty if you're just going to void it anyway?
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
The guy's got a point. Wait till Dell runs a sale and you can score a P-4 2.x GHz machine loaded, for about $450, sans monitor. That's just over $100 more than the X-Box, and look at the difference. Of course, that would make this whole 'Hacking the X-Box' appear to be a worthless waste of time...
Wait a second...
Just because there's been 150,000 copies donloaded doesn't mean 150,000 XBoxen have been modded. I'm sure there's people who have downloaded it and not installed it(I do that to software often =/)and on the flip side I'm sure there's peopel who DL it and install on multiple. I'd take a guess and say the former is more common than the latter.
And to the idiot that said XBox games look like Quake 2, well you're just that - an idiot. The XBox is the technically superior system. It also IMO has the best controler - too bad it's games suck =/
By all means, if you run out of clever or interesting things to troll about, just bring up Mr Gates. Lots of people hate him and will be glad to agree with you.
Also, whatever you do to the Xbox should be considered fair use. When you mess with the hardware, all that MS should be able to do is deny you warrany. Car manufacturers already do this. Think of the people that modify their cars and put in turbos and superchargers. If/when their engine craps out, the dealership or whatever doesn't have to cover anything since what you did to your car has voided your warrany.
My point is MS has no right to take any legal action against any of these "illegal hacking" projects and should just leave them alone. Fair use is fair use.
1) sell at great loss to undercut competition
2) still not beat competition
3) ???
4) total domination and billions of $$$
i REEEEAALLLY wish i knew step 3
YOU SUCK BALLS!
which runs the Linux OS can be had from wal-mart for >$100 less.
I'm sorry, I don't see the appeal of this?
My Xbox games from launch look better than even the newest games on my PS2 and Gamecube.
Xbox has had well documented periods where no good new games were released, but that's not a reason why the Xbox itself sucks. I've managed to find enough good (some great) games to make my Xbox purchase worth my while. Halo, for example, while being released before level design was finished, is still a smashing game. It single handedly proved FPSes can be great on a console.
Maybe I'm happy because I fall into that 10% catagory you mention, but to be fair, Nintendo has historically done a far worse job of making games for a wide audience than what Microsoft has done here, and Nintendo STILL has a long way to go. And Microsoft has some good MMORPG and RPG shit coming to help the cause. So sure Sony is the leader in game variety and overall game quality, but Microsoft isn't the runt of the litter by any means. Lack of games isn't all that big a deal for Xbox owners.
Online gameplay. Xbox Live wins hands down. At least Sony did SOMETHING, and that something works, but it's not on the same level.
So I fail to see how you can say the Xbox sucks so badly when it has the best hardware, and the best online setup. You didn't make very many points for me to draw comparisons on, but that's what I got. And your comparison of the Xbox to an Alienware isn't of interest to me. I can't Jabba The Hut it on the couch with an Alienware. Furthermore, that's apples and oranges.
About that cheap dell:
-video out quality isn't as good (nvidia's video out sucks, ati's is good but not as good as xbox)
-it's louder
-it's bigger
-it doesn't fit in with your other home entertainment stuff
-no optical digital output
-no rgb output
-slower boot time
If you want to spend 5-600$ or so for a loaded shuttle XPC (i got the nforce one) and another 100$ for a scan converter with component output, another 100$ for swank logitech wireless keyboard and optical mouse, then you'll have something worth comparing. This is almost exactly what I have, and it's nice. My only main complaint is the noise of the fan, but I have it hidden under my home entertainment system.
But saying a cheap system will do the same is naive.
Of course they're losing money for every unit sold. In some countries this is called "dumping" which is illegal. I'm curious why no one has spanked them on this issue. Nintendo has always stated that their systsme costs under 100 to make, and no one really knows about Sony, but it's safe to assume they're making a profit as well.
I got a PC with an Athlon 1700+, 20 GB HD, and 128 MB or RAM for $250, and about $30 of that was shipping. You can even upgrade to a real video card(integrated shared vram by default) cheaper than the $336 they estimate.
By replacing the words "lock down" with "trusted computing"
Warning: Opinions known to be heavily biased.
It's about FUN GAMES. Period. Something which Nitnendo has been dominating Sony and Microsoft since the early 80s. Nothing has ever sold more than Mario and Zelda. You mention HALO, that's fine.. What else is there? Nothing... Thats why! You can give crap games all the online stuff in the world and they'll still be a crap game. In online gaming on the PC where people are used to playing againts thousands of users, 8-24 player deathmatch is simply lacking, they shouldn't even bother. Just my lame opinion, I know.. But yes, Microsoft is the runt of the three, they have no idea what they're doing, so they've gone the route of "hey, lets make this thing JUST like the computer I own already and see if anyone notices!" ..
On the same page as the article explaining how you can have a really compact PC for $336 by modding the x-box is an advertisement for Dell computers with free shipping.
That gets me thinking...maybe Microsoft needs to abandon the whole losing money on the xbox to compete with the playstation 2 strategy and start charging more for it and advertise the modding--and compete with companies such as Dell and Gateway :)
Warning: Opinions known to be heavily biased.
Why would they want that? They make money from Live subscriptions and game sales. People who mod their XBox are unlikely to purchase either.
I agree that anyone who purchases an XBox should be free to do with it what they want, but to claim that mods are in Microsoft's best interest is wrong. MS will continue to support legislation that makes modifying these units illegal.
[Set Cain on fire and steal his lute.]
The irony is that although Microsoft sell you the hardware, you still can't run Windows* on it, just Linux.
:o)
Nice to see that Microsoft are taking the whole antitrust thing seriously and rolling out subsidised Linux based terminals
*Yes, except for the cut down version of the 2K kernel it ships with, I know.
Beep beep.
Did you actually read the article?
That quote is attributed to a kid who runs an XBox hacking site. What you're doing here is akin to saying "someone on Slashdot said that Microsoft is going to lock down PCs! How is Microsoft denying this?!?"
Not that I don't agree with the sentiment, but this quote doesn't come from anyone associated with Microsoft.
"We're very committed to respecting the intellectual property rights of others" said J. Allard from Microsoft.
This guy must be a new hire who skipped employee orientation or something. Did anyone else feel the need to laugh when they read that?
Beep beep.
Maybe, they are thinking in "media" terms, but this is a hack (in the good sense). Now only if they know the difference.
In Soviet Russia, Nigel makes plans for you!
Hacking the XBox can hardly be called "a worthless waste of time." Anytime a person has enough curiousity and know-how to crack open the case of a computer/appliance/gadget; ESPECIALLY one manufactured by such a hated company as Microsoft; and tinker around with it to gain a better understanding of the device or to improve/change its function is NOT A WASTE OF TIME. We need more curious minded people if we are ever going to grow as a society. We need to understand the computers and devices that we depend on in the 21st century. Otherwise we be just as better off in the Dark Ages.
in 10 years when Redhat has achieved total domination and released their new home entertainment system there will be a rush to see who will be the first to port win2010 to it and then posting to cfullcolon to brag about their l33t skillz and demanding the right to be allowed install the home entertainment systems as their car stereo if they so choose without being forced to make their car available to anyone who wants to drive it under the terms of the new Redhat GPL
Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
What truth?
There is no dupe
But it does highlight the complexity of Microsoft's struggles to make its products more secure. Because Xbox has so much capability...
You'd think that MS would embrace this community and use thier advances as a selling point for the X-Box. Maybe they could make software of this type an official release. The whole idea of the media hub seems to be what most companies are moving towards today, so you would think that MS would want software of this type running on its system.
SIGFAULT
See BBC News today , they have a war game that runs on one. Is this preparation for dealing with those individuals that won't run a M$ operating system ?
Ona quick note, Microsoft doesn't mind hacking the Xbox to make it into something more; if fact, MS wants that done... but not right now... and not by someone who hasn't been licensed to develop software/hardware. I've watched a week-long dedication to hacking the XBox on TechTV a little while ago, and I saw Windows Media Player on the thing. I don't own any console, but what does XBox run OS-wise? Is it Windows CE or some mutant form of it? Can I get a keyboard, web browser, a dialup modem, and maybe have a better WebTV? If it can run Linux, does that mean I can install Slackware straight from CD?
While it says it will attack hackers on a case-by-case basis, analysts say the company has so far tolerated the Xbox hacking as an unavoidable nuisance.
:P
Alright, im still having trouble with people selling others hardware products with the intentions of them using it for a specific purpose - and then suddenly its a punishable offense that they are going "attack". What business is it of theirs what I do with my XBox?
If these machines come with these kinds of restrictions I think we're still getting ripped off at 180$ a box. Im on my way to buy an XBox to modify just for spite.
I was crazy back when being crazy really meant something. (Charles Manson)
Great idea. Lets waste our money so MS might lose some. Of course, considering they have $40 billion odd in cash lying around (at least, I think I remember hearing something like that), we're going to have to buy a hell of a lot of X-boxes. Lets see, something like 400,000,000 of them I think (assuming they lose $100 a console). Somehow I don't think that is going to work.
Since we are policing grammar, should I point out the mistakes in your post as well?
Maybe I can start with the fragmented sentence or the incorrect comma usage?
Intelligence without tolerance is the ultimate oxymoron. - Unknown
TheNetAvenger
Did it every occur to anybody that maybe Microsoft really wants people to hack X-box? They want it to become hip-to-hack. This is the sort of grassroots cool they really hunger for. Basically, the hackers create a hip new market and what the heck can MS do but jump on the bandwagon? After all their goal all along is not to make a game platform, but to build a more ubiquitous computer platform.
The heck with the Xbox PC, I'm getting me some Xbox Sized fries!
I got this one from Dell for $339 a couple of weeks ago. It is expired now but new ones come out all of the time.
No way does it cost $336 to make an XBox.
Another new low price for the Dimension 4550. Dell is trying to boost their quarterly earnings which ends this month.
Dell Small Business has the Dimension 4550 2.53GHz Desktop for $339 after $200 rebate. It has AGP Slot, 4 PCI Slots, Intel 845PE chipset, 256MB DDR, 30GB HD, 48x CDRW or 16x DVD, 32MB Rage, Integrated NIC & Audio, XP Home, WordPerfect, and 1yr warranty.
1. Go to Dell Small Business.
2. Click on "Featured Systems" under the Dimension 4550 column.
3. Click on "Customize It" under the "Advanced Technology" column.
4. Select the following options:
* SPECIAL OFFER! 256MB 333MHz DDR SDRAM for the price of 128MB!
* FREE UPGRADE!! 16x Max DVD-ROM Drive OR
FREE UPGRADE! New 48x/24x/48x Max CD-RW Drive
5. Optional suggested upgrades:
* Pentium® 4 Processor at 2.66GHz w/533MHz front side bus/ 512K L2 Cache [add $20 or $0.75/month1]
* SAVE $100! New 4x DVD+RW/+R Drive w/CD-RW [add $80 or $3/month1] SAVE $100!!
* 64MB DDR NVIDIA GeForce4 MX(TM) Graphics Card with TV-Out [add $30 or $1/month1]
6. Continue to check out. Price should be $599.
7. Apply coupon code 4491A592C8BB for 10% off.
8. Send in the $200 rebate.
Final price is $599 - 10% ($60) - $200 rebate = $339 + tax w/ free shipping. The 2.53GHz CPU alone costs $184 at NewEgg.
Seriously. MS comming out with a proprietary PC has nothing to do with being a monopoly.
Unless they prevent me from building my own systems and running whatever I want on them, there's not an issue.
I wouldn't be shocked if MS came out with a WindowsPC. If they can put together a good PC at a good price, great for them.
Ben
Work Safe Porn
Disagree, I actually own several XBox titles, and I have access through one of my clients to rent games for free as much as I like through the local video store.
Buffy, Kungfu Chaos, MechAssault, Halo, Castle Wolfensten, BaldersGate, etc, etc.
Halo isn't the 'only' good XBox game out there or I would just rent them when I wanted to play instead of buying them. Trust me...
This doesn't mean that the Army's using X-Boxes as you're implying. It only means that Pandemic's making an X-Box version of the simulation based upon the Army's version that they supplied.
I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
Has anyone tried running Windows XP Embedded on an xbox? I've been working with XPe for about a week, and frankly I'm pretty impressed with the ability to select/deselect components of the OS (don't want IE, don't include IE), but it seems it would be something that someone has tested on a 'box.
No wait, Sony did that for the community.
If I had a good reason to hack an XBox I'd do it, but as it stands, it's best for playing video games. It would be fun to buy a bunch of XBoxes, mod them, and continue to screw Microsoft, though. Oh well.
No sig for you. YOU GET NO SIG!
Also, as I have pointed out elsewhere; If you're going to hack it you need to open it, which invalidates your warranty. You might as well get a used xbox for $130 or refurb for $150; I don't know if those prices have gone down since the Xbox dropped to $180. A used Xbox is at least $50 cheaper than a new one, and if you're not going to use the controller (perhaps even cutting up the cable in order to make your adapter to plug in a USB hub) then you won't care that it's not the newer Controller S, which can save you some money.
So; You don't need a modchip if you rent that 007 game, you can get a used one; That's $70 off the listed price. You could get a cheaper hard disk, too, or just not bother to get one, and read everything across the network, that will save you $120, for $190 off the $336, which brings us to $146. I bet for $200 you could also get a (crappy but functional) wireless USB-connected keyboard/mouse in there if you found a deal, but let's call it $250 for a decent one. That's a pretty good price on a box like that, which incidentally is STILL an Xbox, which has some value of its own IMO.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
take your head out of your ass, please.
if i wanted to, i could easily load four different linux/bsd distro's on an off-the-shelf mac
what the original post was talking about is:
how do you use linux, mac os x or solaris on your desktop in a world where every email in your organization (including the ones about brownies in the kitchen) *requires* palladium to read?
every hard-core tech could be forced to keep a windows computer on their desk (like me) even though their primary development platform is completely different
and then be forced to justify using the optimal platform for their job because it's not *standard* (and challenges tech support's ciphincter grip on the enterprise desktop environment)
Viola is an instrument.
"Viola" is also Spanish for "he rapes", as in raping Microsoft for $100 when buying an Xbox console.
Will I retire or break 10K?
I paid $150 for a used Xbox from an EB Games in Florida, and (not technically part of the Xbox, but now intimately connected ;)) a clip-on LCD screen from intec. That was also $150, so, so far I've spent $300, but I know I need to purchase at least one more thing, which is either a modchip or a memory thingie loaded with the buffer-overflow code from the 007 game.
:)) the xbox won't run without a video output connected, and I bought this to run in my car.
... EB I figure has a decent reputation, and if the box was broke, I'd have better luck there than at Ed's Pawn & Guns.)
;)
...
:)
The reason I spent so much for a (tiny -- 5.4") LCD screen is that (so I was told by the EB clerk, at least
(Pawn-shopping, I might have found one cheaper, but
I have already downloaded one live-ISO distro for the thing (dynebolic); until I have a modchip, though, it's just a clunky but surprisingly good-sounding CD player. (The speakers on the intec screen are not outstanding, but they're decent for my tin ears.)
Why an xbox for the car? You don't have to agree with my reasoning, or taste (of which I have none), but my thoughts go like this:
1) I want a CD player for the car. I don't have one, and I happen to like my head unit (an oldish but *old* Blaupunkt system with a simple, logical control layout and a line-in), so I'd rather not pay for a CD head unit. (I also think most of them have terrible control layouts, just really bizarre design decisions.) CD player is for some music, and for the audiobooks that Cracker Barrel conveniently stocks for $3/week
2) I'd like an ogg player for the car. I've been compressing my CD collection to ogg, and it's a lot simpler to carry 3 CD-Rs than 30 CDs.
3) When stopped (or for passengers) I think a video screen is neat in a car. Futurama in DiVX, for instance. Frivolous? Yes. I would not like to spend thousands of dollars on a video system, but as a nudge toward the xbox as a possible do-everything car computer, it works.
4) With a USB hub attached and a GNU/Linux system installed, I'm hoping I can hook up a web cam and use is as a low-tech DVR for the car.
I don't care too much about games per se, and will probably be using a no-solder modchip with the Cromwell BIOS, so Xbox games are probably out, but Frozen Bubble
If anyone would like to offer a memory card with the hack that makes a modchip unnecessary (for a fair price), let me know quick, before I order a regular modchip
timothy
jrnl: http://tinyurl.com/c2l8yr / foes: http://tinyurl.com/ckjno5
Didn't Castle Wolfensten (assuming you mean RTCW as the original wouldn't say much for the Xbox's power) and Baulders Gate first come out for the PC? So really they aren't exactly original titles...whereas most of the titles for the other consoles either are exclusive to consoles or they come out for the PC a few months/years later (GTA3).
rsilvergun wrote: Still, I don't like the idea of relying on something so patently illegal (note: I said illegal, not immoral) as modchips.
:)
I know you also said "[xbox hacking] provides a real, legit, fair use reason for modchips," but I don't think your first statement is correct. A modchip loaded with an illegally BIOS would be illegal -- but for one that's blank, or loaded with the Cromwell BIOS, I don't know why that should be true.
And on that note, a no-solder modchip with the Cromwell bios seems like a reasonable enough upgrade -- less than the cost of the ethernet module for a Dreamcast
timothy
jrnl: http://tinyurl.com/c2l8yr / foes: http://tinyurl.com/ckjno5
You have to realize, like you said nintendo has been in the market for a LONG time. MS just joined not long ago, and for being a newcomer, they are doing fairly well. They would go under imo if they didn't have the windows money backing them. Granted lately there haven't been a whole lot of games coming out, let alone for any systems. They don't have the amount of games that Sony has, or the 'figureheads' Nintendo has.(Mario, Zelda, Metroid, etc) But one of the smartest things they are doing, and doing better then Sony and Nintendo, is Xbox Live. It's incredible compared to the other two. I suggest you pickup xbl, unreal championship and wolfenstein. And sports games if you like, but I enjoy wolf and unreal. Also, look at some titles MS has coming out, from Rare too, some amazing games coming out. They wont kill Nintendo or Sony, but I think given some time they will be a huge contender. And I think XBL by next year will be huge. By then they will have many many more titles, and lots more downloadable content. I mean how much does getting free level in Splinter Cell own?
. . . that /.'ers who are generally opposed to M$'s monopolistic business tactics rush to buy Xboxes. I know the usual arguments is "M$ loses money for each one sold," but it seems people are actually buying games for their systems too.
I'm guessing you enjoy M$ dominating yet another industry?
The XBOX is a DRM (digital rights management) PC type system, not a standard boot-any-x86-OS PC. Hacking on this hardware is nothing like hacking on standard x86 stuff.
I think you meant to say that hacking the XBOX is a waste of your time. Also, the XBOX won't have a killer app. Apps are traditional applications and the XBOX runs games. As long as MS wants to sell these things cheaper than the cost of manufacture, people will want to buy it to potentially replace low end PCs, can't say I blame them.
I bet MS appreciates your attempt to slow the hacking of the XBOX, however little it may help.
Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. - Mark Twain
It single handedly proved FPSes can be great on a console.
no, goldeneye 007 for the n64 proved that. ask any college student
my other penis is a vagina
I respect the "because it's there" mentality of getting Linux to run on anything
Unfortunately I don't think the 'because it's there' thought process will get anyone very far. At some point someone needs to realize that their time is worth more than needlessly wasting it on disassembling something with no value to them in the future whatsoever. I could take my television apart because I can as well; however outside of "WHOO HOO I TOOK APART MY TV!!! I AM SO SMART!" there is no socially redeeming value whatsoever. Just think what ELSE you could be doning with your time.
I think much of this X-Box shite has to do with the "sticking it to the man" beef that everyone around here seems to have with Microsoft. But seriously, they are not taking a cut anymore, I can pretty much assure you of that. Sure people could run Linux on their toaster if they really wanted to, but there is no socially redeeming value to doing that either.
If you don't buy anything related to the Xbos MS earns 0, nada, zilch, nil.
/.
If you buy only the Xbox they are recouping 140 or wahtever dollars. Do the maths wise one.
Now, don't be stupid. This argument is the most idiotic one in the history of
If you want to hurt MS don't buy their products. If you want to hurt them even more, don't use their products at all (i.e. don't buy second hand, don't pirate stuff you criminal, drop their stuff as fast as you can).
I try to avoid people with shoddy legal and ethical records when making business. MS is no different on this respect.
IANAL but write like a drunk one.