Publisher: Microsoft
Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony each want to define and dominate gaming's next era and first out of the chute is Microsoft's Xbox 360. The hardware offers impressive horsepower that displays high-definition games and allows for gaming enhancements, but the system is expensive, and for now, difficult to find and even purchase.
The Xbox 360 features three separate processors that clock in at a speedy 3.2 GHz each. And there's a custom ATI graphics processor that runs at 500 MHz. The result is a system that displays four times as many polygons and pixels as the original Xbox, which results in stunning graphics and games that appear in high-definition and are optimized for the 16:9 widescreen viewing ratio.
You don't need a high-definition TV to play Xbox 360 titles, but games will look their best on a HD screen. And those who play Xbox 360 titles on regular televisions will see added details.
The Xbox 360 supports a small, detachable hard drive that offers 20GB of space. In addition to saving games, the system can rip music from audio CDs onto the hard drive so they may be played, even within some games. And the system will not only play DVDs, but supports CDs, DVD-ROMs, DVD-R/RW, JPEGs and more.
The Xbox 360 strives to be a family's multimedia, entertainment center. You can connect and stream media from a wide range of portable music players and digital cameras, or stream digital music, photos, and more from a connected Windows PC.
You can create picture slideshows, add music to these shows and share them with family and friends. The system can connect to a digital camera or PC to display digital pictures and save pictures to CDs. You can also play DVDs and record or pause live TV. All are impressive capabilities, but are they outdated in a world that's largely dominated by IPods?
The system features a wireless controller and supports up to four at a time. The controller itself is sleek and easy to hold and use, unlike the original Xbox controllers that were large and clumsy. Microsoft has also added enhancements to Xbox Live, its online gaming service.
The Xbox 360 is impressive, but it's also expensive. The core system costs $299, but lacks a hard drive and wireless controller. Most gamers who purchase this package will eventually invest in a hard drive, which costs $100, and will probably spring for a wireless controller along the way. The $399 version includes the hard drive, wireless controller and a headset, which initially sounds like a deal. But $400 for a gaming system is a lot of money.
No system can survive without good games. For now, Microsoft is off to a decent start, but just about anything can happen in the future, particularly with Sony and Nintendo readying next-generation systems of their own for 2006.
At its current price, Microsoft's Xbox 360 is a diehard gamer's system and not a system for a family. Prices will undoubtedly come down, but for now, the Xbox is mostly unavailable. Get one if you can't wait and have to play the latest, cutting edge games. But it's probably wise to see what Sony and Nintendo have to offer if you don't intend to be a multi-console family.
-Wayne N. Kawamoto
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