XBox 2 specs

Xbox 2 specs revealed--but are they fact?

Report also says Microsoft aims to bring in Xbox 2 at a too-low-to-resist price point, and months ahead of PS3.

According to coverage in The San Jose Mercury News, the specifications for Microsoft's successor to the Xbox were revealed to veteran tech reporter and Merc writer Dean Takahashi. The coverage also suggests that Microsoft plans to capture a much larger share of the console market than it currently enjoys by keeping the cost of the console down, and by launching ahead of Sony's PlayStation 3.

The specs for the next Xbox, at least according to the Merc's report, are as follows:

Three IBM-designed 64-bit microprocessors, the same chips now used Apple Computer's high-end G5 PowerMac. According to the Merc, this will give the new Xbox "more computing power than most personal computers."

A graphics chip designed by ATI Technologies that will clock in with speeds faster than the upcoming R400. The Merc says, "This chip will help the next Xbox to display games with the resolution of high-definition TV."

Compatibility with the original Xbox, which is based on Intel and Nvidia chips, isn't guaranteed. Microsoft is concerned it would cost too much money in hardware or in licensing fees to enable the Xbox Next to play old Xbox games, says the Merc. This is risky in part because Sony's strategy has been to maintain compatibility with its old consoles.

According to the Merc, there is no mention of a hard disk drive for the new machine, and the Merc has even gone so far as to suggest that the next Xbox will instead rely on flash memory to store saved games and permanent data. The report also suggests that the possible inclusion of a hard disk drive and the amount of dynamic RAM available in the machine will depend on what Sony announces for its PS3. Microsoft had not commented on the report at the time of writing, and is unlikely to shed any more light on its plans until next month's Game Developers Conference in San Jose (where much talk in the industry suggests a major Microsoft announcement will be made), or E3 Expo in Los Angeles in May.

By Justin Calvert, GameSpot [POSTED: 02/02/04 11:20 AM

http://www.gamespot.com/all/news/news_6087269.html

Whaty you think no hard drive and none of the older games. Kind of sucks