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Microsoft to Release Three Versions of Xbox 2

Posted by Zonk on from the curiouser-and-curiouser dept.

BlueMoon writes "TheInquirer is reporting that Microsoft plans to release 3 version of the next generation Xbox console: one of which appears to be a fully functioning PC device, the other 2 are closer to a home console - one with a HDD, the other without. Xbox Next and Xbox Next HD are planned for autumn 2005, the Xbox Next PC is not excepted to show up before autumn 2006."

4 of 73 comments (clear)

  1. Microsoft and a G5 PC? by RobTerrell · · Score: 3, Interesting

    That's really strange. Are they recompiling XP and key Office apps for the G5, or running everything under an embedded VirtualPC, or doing something entirely new? Because I can't imagine they'll be letting it boot Mac OS X, let alone Yellowdog Linux.

  2. Hmm.. by Zenikase · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I guess they finally took a hint from the modding and homebrew software community.

  3. The bag opens and... by hyu · · Score: 2, Interesting

    We can hardly be surprised by this. Microsoft has a tendency to release many different versions of their products, often with multitudes of features missing, forcing you to buy their advanced ones.

    It's likely that we'll see games that require the Hard Drive for certain functions, or even the fully-fledged XBox PC. People who buy the cheapest model will be forced to upgrade.

    Other rumors are that the lower model, without the Hard Drive, will also be not quite as powerful as the other ones. Interesting to see the full specs when they come out.

  4. Re:WTF? by Quarters · · Score: 3, Interesting
    This is just going to confuse people. Why not release one box and sell upgrades/enhancements for it down the line.

    Peripherals for consoles never achieve any decent amount of sell-through. This is because developers will never support it. They can either develop a game that works on 100% of the installed base of consoles or develop a game that woks on n% of the installed base, where n is a sufficiently small number. The XBoxHD will offer increased functionality but probably not things that are of any dramatic benefit to gamers. Yeah, it might alleviate the need for a memory card or allow for some limited downloadable content. More than likely, though, it will offer TiVO like functionality and a way to store and playback media files.