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Bill Gates Hints At Xbox 360 Features

Posted by Zonk on from the could-be-a-blender-too dept.

mgbaron writes "Read the first part of Engadget's interview of Bill Gates where topics discussed range from the Xbox 360 to Media Center PCs to Windows Mobile and Microsoft's future involvement in portable devices. On an interesting note, Gates downplays the rumors that the Xbox 360 might itself be a media hub. He instead hints that it might share some of the same features. The second part of the interview will run tomorrow and cover such topics as Blu-Ray and the Tablet PC."

41 comments

  1. Xenon by turtled · · Score: 2, Interesting

    From the article, Bill is calling it Xenon. Is 360 still the public name?

    --
    "I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection." -- Sigmund Freud
    1. Re:Xenon by goodenoughnickname · · Score: 1

      Bill didn't get the memo.

    2. Re:Xenon by Reignking · · Score: 1

      360 is just a very popular rumor. There is nothing to confirm it.

      --
      One man's Funny is another man's Offtopic.
    3. Re:Xenon by squiggleslash · · Score: 3, Informative
      Xenon is the code name. They haven't officially announced the name yet, so even if it is to be called the Xbox 360, it would be inappropriate for Mr Gates to call it that.

      For the same reason, you'll hear him refer to Longhorn as Longhorn right up until the day it's officially announced it'll be called "Windows ST" (or "Windows QL" or whatever it is called), even if "everyone knows" it's going to be called that well beforehand.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    4. Re:Xenon by igorthefiend · · Score: 1

      I don't know, but the Bitmap Brothers are calling their lawyers just in case.

    5. Re:Xenon by Wyrmw00d · · Score: 0, Funny

      I call your mom "biatch" even though her public name is Steve. Go figure.

  2. Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    Gates downplays the rumors that the Xbox 360 might itself be a media hub. He instead hints that it might share some of the same features.

    So if it has the same features, why isn't it a media hub? Sounds more like vapourware - "hint" that it'll have certain features, then when it comes out and it doesn't have them, he can point to the interview and say "see, I told you it wasn't a media hub!".

    1. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      More likely it will have all the necessary hardware necessary to be a media hub, and they'll advertize it as being a media hub right out of the box; the unfortunate problem will be you will have to buy a media remote control for $100, and that won't be sold for a year after the systems release.

    2. Re:Huh? by hollismb · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Nah, he define's the 'hub' as the PC. The Xbox simply accesses the hub. Seriously, would you want to store all your music, video, images on an Xbox, or on your PC? What I don't get it Microsoft's obsession with the damn Media Center PC. How many people actually own one of those damn things? If I can't do certain things with my Xbox 360 because I don't run Windows Media Center, well, I'm going to be irritated.

    3. Re:Huh? by Reignking · · Score: 1

      I think you can understand why MS and Gates would want the computer to be the center of all media activity, though. You don't need their fancy prepackaged media center PC to have one, of course; most of us probably have the desktop and can just add some hardware and software. In fact, their Media Connector was a free download.

      --
      One man's Funny is another man's Offtopic.
    4. Re:Huh? by DingerX · · Score: 2, Informative

      The article suggests that ol' Bill has another reason not to call it a "media hub". M$ already has a "media center edition" version of Windows XP. It's not vapor here, just a clear case of differentiating the markets. Now, whether the Xbox will be a "crippled" media-center, or whether it will do what you want it to do, we'll see. My guess is that it'll play DVDs, CDs, and let you do multimedia stuff that involves extensive and annoying DRM.
      I also suspect someone's looking at the console market in terms of the iPod phenomenon: people buy iPods to listen to music, not to use the stopwatch feature. Are folks really going to buy a console and expect a HDTV tuner/PVR in there for free?

    5. Re:Huh? by jimi+the+hippie · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Makes me think that the only reason it supports all this streaming audio and video from other home computers is because so many people have chipped their XBoxes to give them that functionality.

    6. Re:Huh? by MBraynard · · Score: 1

      There is already a Media Center Extender for the current Xbox. This role that the extender has will likely be shared with the Xbox's sequel.

    7. Re:Huh? by hollismb · · Score: 1

      Media Connector? What's that? Can't find anything on Microsoft's site about it.

    8. Re:Huh? by SuiteSisterMary · · Score: 1

      s/Connector/Extender. Details.

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    9. Re:Huh? by Reignking · · Score: 1

      If I were on my home computer, I could find the app and let you know...

      --
      One man's Funny is another man's Offtopic.
    10. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Remember the Xbox2 is supposed to have no hard drive. Even if there is a Media Center Xbox, it would be misleading to market it Xbox2 as such.

    11. Re:Huh? by AaronBrethorst · · Score: 1

      Sure, why not? My first dvd player was my PS2. My current DVD player is my XBox. I don't own a Tivo, and I would be perfectly happy to be able to consolidate my gaming, tv, and movie-watching into a single box. The rumors (I know nothing more about Xenon than what I've read on Gizmodo and Kotaku) suggest that there will be a standard version and a pimped out version of the new console. I'd be happy to pay an extra $100 or whatever it'd be in order to get that extra functionality.

      --
      No, but I used to work for Microsoft.
    12. Re:Huh? by Reignking · · Score: 1

      "Windows Media Connect"...I have it installed but haven't used it.

      --
      One man's Funny is another man's Offtopic.
  3. xbox 180 by Nate+Andrion · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I think the 360 might only be about half the hype that the community gives it. Lets think here, we are scrambling for info on a device that seems to evade us. The feature list, never found, the community of avid XBox-ers (including myself), are foaming at the mouth for info. Why can't the big M$ release some features officially, so we can brag about our system franchises leetness and not keep digging. I think the seclusion is because of the PS3's already known hardware benefits.

    --
    I once killed a eSports superstar, then his team killed me for the remaining 29 rounds.
    1. Re:xbox 180 by Winterblink · · Score: 1

      Because the way they've been going about it generates FAR more marketing buzz than talking about a system's stats.

      --
      "I'm a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar."
      -Hoban Washburn
    2. Re:xbox 180 by zero_offset · · Score: 1

      the PS3's already known hardware benefits

      The "already known" benefits you tout are themselves extremely speculative.

      (Not that I doubt that the cell processors are potentially quite powerful, but Sony has a well-established history of delivering bare minimum hardware, particularly in comparison to their competition.)

      --

      Slashdot quality declines as the number of hot grits posts decreases. - Provolt's Law, Apr-09-2005

  4. Media Excuse more likely by Bruha · · Score: 0

    You will not get all the features of a Media Center PC and will be forced to get one to get the good features. Sorry storing music does not do that. I've got a small Linspire box that shares all my mp3's out to a number of devices out of the box. This Xenon will only work with what MS wants it to work with. I doubt they'll support UPNP devices.

    And my MythDVD box I'm building is far far more interesting I believe. With it I have all my videos up to view from any PC that can run the frontend.

    1. Re:Media Excuse more likely by Quarters · · Score: 1

      I'm sure your "interesting" MythDVD box can play new generation, quality games, right?

    2. Re:Media Excuse more likely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Good, I'm glad they aren't trying to turn a gaming machine into something it's not. They would need to add a hard drive and TV tuner to the thing to be of any use on media. We'd be paying more, have less room for gaming hardware in there, have a big clunky case again, etc..

    3. Re:Media Excuse more likely by Morinaga · · Score: 1
      That's all fine and good but I'm an IT tech and even I don't want to deal with more gadgets than I need to. I have built in cabinets in my house that can store a lot of equipment but I remember what it was like to have limited space for TV equipment. Right now I have a DVD player, DirectTivo (substitute your cable box or what have you), Stereo (patched in to my surround speakers) and a video game box. I'm at my limit. I'll take any consolidation I can get.

      Just thinking ahead, I hope my remote can find a code that works the Xbox360. Now my couch could have two wireless game controllers and 20 other remotes! I know, I know.. Harmony, Pronto, Bluetooth Palms and bottomless guilt and looks from my lovely wife that still doesn't understand why I have to have all this crap. All right, I'm done.

    4. Re:Media Excuse more likely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Buy a Pronto. I've had one for 5 years and it's the only remote in my living room. So tempted to upgrade to a color one myself but getting a old TSU1000 works great. There's one on ebay for $10 right now.

  5. simple reason why it wont be a media hub by FidelCatsro · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Microsoft already has bitten into the PC games market with the xbox(The xbox whilst some hardcore console gamers like it , is more popular with the PC gamers IMHO. I have heard many ardent pc gamers saying its the first/only console they like ).

    Most importantly though , they wouldnt want to take away sales from media center PCs , It would cause a major argument with the PC-companys who make Media center PCs if it did .This is quite possibly the reason why Gates is downplaying the media center functionality. Sony would have no such worrys however and may play on that , which could in the end force microsofts hand .. we shall need to wait and see(I doubt nintendo will go that route considering their previous stance on Games only).

    --
    The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
    1. Re:simple reason why it wont be a media hub by bVork · · Score: 1

      You seem to think that Microsoft made a mistake in converting PC gamers over to the Xbox. I'd disagree. Remember that anyone publishing a game for Xbox has to pay Microsoft a royalty, which is not the case with PC games.

      To forestall the possible argument that converting PC gamers reduces the sales of Windows, just remember that most people need computers anyway. There's more to computers than just games. I still need one for work and whatnot, though I do not play games on it anymore.

    2. Re:simple reason why it wont be a media hub by FidelCatsro · · Score: 2, Interesting

      ;) got me wrong there , as a unix systems admin i understand all to well that computers are for more than games(infact i dont think i play games too often on my various systems).

      Its not the converting of games or vice versa its the target audiance ,The Xbox apeals more to those who use the pc as a games device as opposed to those who use games on consoles.

      This takes out a major upgrade factor from the pc for those gamers.
      Why upgrade your system if all you need is this console that costs 150.
      This bites into a segment of windows sales .

      I use OS X , Linux ( Debian based mainly) , solaris and netBSD. So i am not what you would call a PC hardcore gamer and those systems as of yet are nearly all rather lacking for games(Thanks to many linux ports ,cedega and the wine team , this is begining to change.The Mac always has a fairly good selection though).

      so in sumation , its not the games so much as the appeal

      --
      The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
    3. Re:simple reason why it wont be a media hub by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      PC gaming is a joke. Your hardware is never good enough and when you want to upgrade you pay ridiculous prices for that new video card they expect you to have. And then you have to wait for the inevitable patches to fix the bugs that just seem to appear on your particular machine. Console gaming so much more reasonable.

  6. Xbox Media Center PC by DeadBugs · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If you are running Windows Media Center 2005 you can already connect your Xbox to it and use it as a satellite media center\hub. http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/eva luation/devices/xboxextenderkit.mspx

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  7. It's called an unveiling by gmrc.2 · · Score: 1

    Seems like possible Trollage ...

    The features will become known on May 12, hence the unveiling. They are going to "unveil" (That is to say, remove the perverbial "veil") the features in good time my man.

  8. The Most Important Feature... by ObsessiveMathsFreak · · Score: 0, Troll

    Halo 3.

    If it has this, it will float. Otherwise it will sink.
    QED.

    --
    May the Maths Be with you!
    1. Re:The Most Important Feature... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apparently, the 360's hard drive will come loaded with Halo 2.5. With H3 arriving on the PS3's launch date.

    2. Re:The Most Important Feature... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "With H3 arriving on the PS3's launch date."

      OMG! Sony must be shitting themselves!

      Some peecee shooter is being released the same day as the PS3. Those MS folk sure like to play hardball!

      I hear it is going to even shinier than the last version!!!

  9. Everyone else is saying "Entertainment Hub" by Reignking · · Score: 1

    Check this article out -- it is saying that Gates called it an entertainment hub, and also provides a picture of the next XBox that I have never seen...

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    One man's Funny is another man's Offtopic.
    1. Re:Everyone else is saying "Entertainment Hub" by badasscat · · Score: 1

      Check this article out -- it is saying that Gates called it an entertainment hub, and also provides a picture of the next XBox that I have never seen...

      Correction, he never called it an entertainment hub - the "news" sources doing the quoting put those words in his mouth. What he said is this:

      "If you're used to that menu, when you use this Xenon you'll see a menu a lot like that that lets you get photos, TV, music and all those different things."

      People in the press take that to mean it's a hub. But that's not what he said. He said it lets you "get" all those different things - meaning from your Media Center PC. MCE is the hub - Xbox 360 is the client.

      This is the same way the current Xbox works, it sounds like they're just streamlining the interface for the 360. But it'll just act as an MCE Extender, which is a strategy MS is already using right now with Xbox 1. If you read the Engadget interview, Bill basically says as much there.

      The problem is, much of the press knows absolutely nothing about MCE or MCE Extenders, so they hear quotes like the one above and assume he's saying the Xbox 360 itself will be a hub. But he never said that (in fact he says exactly and specifically the opposite on Engadget).

    2. Re:Everyone else is saying "Entertainment Hub" by Reignking · · Score: 1

      No correction needed. That's what I said. "Check this article out -- it is saying that Gates called it an entertainment hub". Never said that he's said that. I was pointing out the same thing you were -- that journalists were twisting his words.

      --
      One man's Funny is another man's Offtopic.
  10. Second Part of Interview by LoganEkz · · Score: 4, Informative

    It's now available, posted this afternoon on Engadget.