N
NEXT BOX
http://gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=6980
Xbox 2 set to feature removable hard drive - reports
Rob Fahey 12:47 23/02/2005
But are these sealed units, or is the fabled xPod making a return to the
rumour mill?
Microsoft's next-generation Xbox console is set to feature a removable hard
drive bay, according to online reports today, which will allow users to
upgrade their entry-level systems to include mass storage capabilities.
Citing a "reliable source", technology news site Engadget revealed details
of the removable hard drive, claiming that the unit attaches to the top of
the console "in a really slick way, almost like the hood scoop on a muscle
car."
The report tallies with claims from developers working on the system, who
have told GamesIndustry.biz in the past that Microsoft has disclosed that
there will be a mass storage device, but that they should not rely on its
presence for their games.
It's been assumed for some time that this means that Xbox 2 will be sold in
at least two basic configurations - with and without a mass storage unit -
and today's report seems to indicate that it will be possible to upgrade
between those models by adding the hard drive.
One vital question, however, is whether this hard drive will simply be a
sealed memory unit (which may actually be a hard drive, or may be a very
high capacity flash drive) or if it will sport a screen and buttons,
allowing it to be used as a portable media player.
Comments made to GamesIndustry.biz by sources who claim to have seen the new
console suggest that the latter may be the case - resurrecting the "xPod"
rumours which originally surfaced last year, after XNA boss J Allard
allegedly told fellow snowboarders in a bar at a Canadian resort that the
next Xbox would come with an iPod style media player.
Engadget also reports, from the same source, that the new console is set to
be called "Xbox 360" when it hits the market; at present, the only official
moniker attached to the project is "Xenon", its development codename.
Microsoft has reported tested a number of names on consumer focus groups,
and is believed to be determined not to launch as "Xbox 2" - just as rival
Sony is apparently keen to drop the numbering system from its next
PlayStation console.
"Xbox 360", "Xbox Next" and "NeXtBox" have all been suggested as names that
the company is considering in the past few months - and if those sound too
convoluted to be real, it's worth bearing in mind that according to UK tech
news site The Inquirer, the current frontrunner for the name of the next
Windows operating system is Windows e-XPedition...
_____
http://news.designtechnica.com/article6658.html
Xbox 2 Could Have Removable Hard Drive
Wednesday, February 23 @ 11:00:00 PST
Rumors are floating around the net that point to a removable hard drive in
the new Xbox 2 slated for later this year.
"Citing a "reliable source", technology news site Engadget revealed details
of the removable hard drive, claiming that the unit attaches to the top of
the console "in a really slick way, almost like the hood scoop on a muscle
car."
The report tallies with claims from developers working on the system, who
have told GamesIndustry.biz in the past that Microsoft has disclosed that
there will be a mass storage device, but that they should not rely on its
presence for their games."
Our take: Microsoft will probably just release two versions of the Xbox 2,
one with a hard drive and one without a hard drive. If they make the hard
drive removable then they risk the chance of it failing if it drops etc. And
since Microsoft has already gone on record as stating they will try and
appeal to a broader audience this time around (meaning younger kids) then we
just don't see this happening. This would not be the first time Engadget has
posted something completely out in left field in order to get the story out,
so take it with a grain of salt.
_____
http://www.computerandvideogames.co...eogames.com/news/news_story.php(que)id=115347
XBOX 2 TO FEATURE REMOVABLE HARD DRIVE, CUSTOM COVERS...
....And every other new Xbox 2 rumour worth its salt. Step inside and we'll
drench you with speculation...
15:19 Microsoft's next-gen Xbox - also known as Xbox 2, Xbox Next, Xbox 360
or Xenon - will come with a removable iPod-style hard drive and feature
customisable pop-on-pop-off covers like those diddy Smart cars.
According to internet reports, that is. The Xbox 2 rumour mill is on full
grind right now, but it seems the speculation is homing closer and closer to
the truth as the next-gen machine's expected late 2005 release date looms.
Most interestingly of all the whispers riding the winds of rumour, a report
on gadget website Engadget suggests that Xbox 2 will indeed feature a
detachable hard drive. This feature has been rumoured since Xbox big cheese
J Allard spoke of such a removabel device last year.
According to Engadget's reports, the hard drive will slot neatly into a
slick recepticle on the top of the system, "almost like the hood scoop on a
muscle car". Furthermore, it's suggested that you will be able to buy Xbox 2
with or without the hard drive (with an option to pick one up later), an
assertion that reinforces claims that the Xbox 2 will be available in three
versions - a basic console, the console with hard drive fitted, and a
PC-style version with additional features.
While this may sound strange considering the current Xbox has a hard drive,
we imagine you'd still be able to hold your saved games on a memory card
while the detachable hard drive would be used for multimedia files and
memory-intensive applications.
So can we expect detachable hard drives? Engadget is quoting a source close
to the product, and we've certainly heard whispers from our sources that we
should expect a detachable storage device. Looking pretty likely, then.
But there's more. Gaming blog Kotaku is also carrying alleged Xbox 2
information, again from an "exclusive source". This little haul of details
seems to confirm the Xbox 360 moniker (which certainly seems to be gathering
legitimacy amongst powerful people within the industry), offers that the
console design will look softer with "sweeps and curves" replacing the hard
lines of the original Xbox, and suggests that the console's exterior can be
customised with "designer face plates".
We've also heard that Xbox 2 will indeed strike a smoother, slimmer pose
than its little brother. According to our sources, it'll weigh in with about
the same size and weight as Sony's PS2 (the old one, not the wee one) and
feature curved edges designed to slim it down even further.
And the official word on all this? Unfortunately, representatives from
Microsoft UK were unavailable for comment at the time of press, but given
the speculative nature of all these reports we think we can imagine the
response we'd get...
We'll keep watching the rumours and bringing you the latest on Xbox 2.
Graeme Boyd
______
http://www.totalvideogames.com/pages/articles/index.php?article_id=7260
:
Xbox 2 To Feature "Removable Hard Drive"???
23/02/2005
By: Jon Wilcox
Online report suggests that the next version of Microsoft's console may
allow for removable hard-drives...
As the year goes on we are set to be inundated with various rumours and
hearsay surrounding Xbox 2/Xbox Next/neXtbox/Xbox 360, and the latest one
appears to tally with earlier reports. Way back in April 2004, we reported
on rumours that suggested that Xbox2 will be fitted with an iPod style media
player. Following that report came another rumour that Microsoft were to
launch three versions of the machine: one with a hard drive, one without,
and one that would double as an entry-level PC.
Today's rumour comes from online technology site, Engadget, which has
reported once again that the next-gen console is to be called Xbox 360, not
only that, but the article states that a 'reliable source' has claimed that
an optional hard drive will be available that will attach to the Xbox 2,
".in a really slick way, almost like the hood scoop on a muscle car.You'll
be able to add the hard drive afterwards without having to take the box
apart if you didn't buy the hard drive version of the Xbox 360."
Of course, there has been no confirmation of this from Microsoft and the
whole rumour might just be the dredging of months old news, but still.it
does make you wonder.
We'll have more on Xbox2 in the coming months
______
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000100032808/
Xbox 360 getting attachable hard drive and wireless controllers
Posted Feb 22, 2005, 9:51 AM ET by Peter Rojas
Related entries: Gaming, Home Entertainment
Our same reliable source who delivered the goods for us a few weeks back
with the inside dirt that the name for the next Xbox is indeed the Xbox 360
has just hit us up with a couple of other nibblets: One, that the Xbox 360
is definitely going to come with wireless controllers; and two, that it's
going to have an optional hard drive that attaches to the top of Xbox 360
"in a really slick way, almost like the hood scoop on a muscle car." Better
still, "You'll be able to add the hard drive afterwards without having to
take the box apart if you didn't buy the hard drive version of the Xbox
360." Yeah, that means there are going to be (at least) two versions of the
Xbox 360 available when it goes on sale, one with a hard drive, and one
without.
Xbox 2 set to feature removable hard drive - reports
Rob Fahey 12:47 23/02/2005
But are these sealed units, or is the fabled xPod making a return to the
rumour mill?
Microsoft's next-generation Xbox console is set to feature a removable hard
drive bay, according to online reports today, which will allow users to
upgrade their entry-level systems to include mass storage capabilities.
Citing a "reliable source", technology news site Engadget revealed details
of the removable hard drive, claiming that the unit attaches to the top of
the console "in a really slick way, almost like the hood scoop on a muscle
car."
The report tallies with claims from developers working on the system, who
have told GamesIndustry.biz in the past that Microsoft has disclosed that
there will be a mass storage device, but that they should not rely on its
presence for their games.
It's been assumed for some time that this means that Xbox 2 will be sold in
at least two basic configurations - with and without a mass storage unit -
and today's report seems to indicate that it will be possible to upgrade
between those models by adding the hard drive.
One vital question, however, is whether this hard drive will simply be a
sealed memory unit (which may actually be a hard drive, or may be a very
high capacity flash drive) or if it will sport a screen and buttons,
allowing it to be used as a portable media player.
Comments made to GamesIndustry.biz by sources who claim to have seen the new
console suggest that the latter may be the case - resurrecting the "xPod"
rumours which originally surfaced last year, after XNA boss J Allard
allegedly told fellow snowboarders in a bar at a Canadian resort that the
next Xbox would come with an iPod style media player.
Engadget also reports, from the same source, that the new console is set to
be called "Xbox 360" when it hits the market; at present, the only official
moniker attached to the project is "Xenon", its development codename.
Microsoft has reported tested a number of names on consumer focus groups,
and is believed to be determined not to launch as "Xbox 2" - just as rival
Sony is apparently keen to drop the numbering system from its next
PlayStation console.
"Xbox 360", "Xbox Next" and "NeXtBox" have all been suggested as names that
the company is considering in the past few months - and if those sound too
convoluted to be real, it's worth bearing in mind that according to UK tech
news site The Inquirer, the current frontrunner for the name of the next
Windows operating system is Windows e-XPedition...
_____
http://news.designtechnica.com/article6658.html
Xbox 2 Could Have Removable Hard Drive
Wednesday, February 23 @ 11:00:00 PST
Rumors are floating around the net that point to a removable hard drive in
the new Xbox 2 slated for later this year.
"Citing a "reliable source", technology news site Engadget revealed details
of the removable hard drive, claiming that the unit attaches to the top of
the console "in a really slick way, almost like the hood scoop on a muscle
car."
The report tallies with claims from developers working on the system, who
have told GamesIndustry.biz in the past that Microsoft has disclosed that
there will be a mass storage device, but that they should not rely on its
presence for their games."
Our take: Microsoft will probably just release two versions of the Xbox 2,
one with a hard drive and one without a hard drive. If they make the hard
drive removable then they risk the chance of it failing if it drops etc. And
since Microsoft has already gone on record as stating they will try and
appeal to a broader audience this time around (meaning younger kids) then we
just don't see this happening. This would not be the first time Engadget has
posted something completely out in left field in order to get the story out,
so take it with a grain of salt.
_____
http://www.computerandvideogames.co...eogames.com/news/news_story.php(que)id=115347
XBOX 2 TO FEATURE REMOVABLE HARD DRIVE, CUSTOM COVERS...
....And every other new Xbox 2 rumour worth its salt. Step inside and we'll
drench you with speculation...
15:19 Microsoft's next-gen Xbox - also known as Xbox 2, Xbox Next, Xbox 360
or Xenon - will come with a removable iPod-style hard drive and feature
customisable pop-on-pop-off covers like those diddy Smart cars.
According to internet reports, that is. The Xbox 2 rumour mill is on full
grind right now, but it seems the speculation is homing closer and closer to
the truth as the next-gen machine's expected late 2005 release date looms.
Most interestingly of all the whispers riding the winds of rumour, a report
on gadget website Engadget suggests that Xbox 2 will indeed feature a
detachable hard drive. This feature has been rumoured since Xbox big cheese
J Allard spoke of such a removabel device last year.
According to Engadget's reports, the hard drive will slot neatly into a
slick recepticle on the top of the system, "almost like the hood scoop on a
muscle car". Furthermore, it's suggested that you will be able to buy Xbox 2
with or without the hard drive (with an option to pick one up later), an
assertion that reinforces claims that the Xbox 2 will be available in three
versions - a basic console, the console with hard drive fitted, and a
PC-style version with additional features.
While this may sound strange considering the current Xbox has a hard drive,
we imagine you'd still be able to hold your saved games on a memory card
while the detachable hard drive would be used for multimedia files and
memory-intensive applications.
So can we expect detachable hard drives? Engadget is quoting a source close
to the product, and we've certainly heard whispers from our sources that we
should expect a detachable storage device. Looking pretty likely, then.
But there's more. Gaming blog Kotaku is also carrying alleged Xbox 2
information, again from an "exclusive source". This little haul of details
seems to confirm the Xbox 360 moniker (which certainly seems to be gathering
legitimacy amongst powerful people within the industry), offers that the
console design will look softer with "sweeps and curves" replacing the hard
lines of the original Xbox, and suggests that the console's exterior can be
customised with "designer face plates".
We've also heard that Xbox 2 will indeed strike a smoother, slimmer pose
than its little brother. According to our sources, it'll weigh in with about
the same size and weight as Sony's PS2 (the old one, not the wee one) and
feature curved edges designed to slim it down even further.
And the official word on all this? Unfortunately, representatives from
Microsoft UK were unavailable for comment at the time of press, but given
the speculative nature of all these reports we think we can imagine the
response we'd get...
We'll keep watching the rumours and bringing you the latest on Xbox 2.
Graeme Boyd
______
http://www.totalvideogames.com/pages/articles/index.php?article_id=7260
:
Xbox 2 To Feature "Removable Hard Drive"???
23/02/2005
By: Jon Wilcox
Online report suggests that the next version of Microsoft's console may
allow for removable hard-drives...
As the year goes on we are set to be inundated with various rumours and
hearsay surrounding Xbox 2/Xbox Next/neXtbox/Xbox 360, and the latest one
appears to tally with earlier reports. Way back in April 2004, we reported
on rumours that suggested that Xbox2 will be fitted with an iPod style media
player. Following that report came another rumour that Microsoft were to
launch three versions of the machine: one with a hard drive, one without,
and one that would double as an entry-level PC.
Today's rumour comes from online technology site, Engadget, which has
reported once again that the next-gen console is to be called Xbox 360, not
only that, but the article states that a 'reliable source' has claimed that
an optional hard drive will be available that will attach to the Xbox 2,
".in a really slick way, almost like the hood scoop on a muscle car.You'll
be able to add the hard drive afterwards without having to take the box
apart if you didn't buy the hard drive version of the Xbox 360."
Of course, there has been no confirmation of this from Microsoft and the
whole rumour might just be the dredging of months old news, but still.it
does make you wonder.
We'll have more on Xbox2 in the coming months
______
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000100032808/
Xbox 360 getting attachable hard drive and wireless controllers
Posted Feb 22, 2005, 9:51 AM ET by Peter Rojas
Related entries: Gaming, Home Entertainment
Our same reliable source who delivered the goods for us a few weeks back
with the inside dirt that the name for the next Xbox is indeed the Xbox 360
has just hit us up with a couple of other nibblets: One, that the Xbox 360
is definitely going to come with wireless controllers; and two, that it's
going to have an optional hard drive that attaches to the top of Xbox 360
"in a really slick way, almost like the hood scoop on a muscle car." Better
still, "You'll be able to add the hard drive afterwards without having to
take the box apart if you didn't buy the hard drive version of the Xbox
360." Yeah, that means there are going to be (at least) two versions of the
Xbox 360 available when it goes on sale, one with a hard drive, and one
without.
