Os's on console's

[U_NeeKz]

We'll I want to know if console's have os's I am sure they don't it is just a few freinds of mines have gotten confused and think that dreamcast use's window's ce and now since xbox is from Msoft they think it definetly has a Os and then I would tell them it had a window's cernal but what is that exactly please help.

[Rancey]

It is a 500k win2k shell...if you are worried about it 'crashing' or whatever don't be.

[Plasticman]

A kernel is basically the main code that Windows is built around. Think of it as a graphics engine for a game. A kernel is usually pretty small in size. In the case of Dreamcast and Xbox, the kernel is around 500k. It's purpose is too boot the system, and that's it. I believe the Xbox's kernel is on the disc and not the system, so that later on they can make it better. Many people don't know this information, and that's why many of them say that Xbox will crash. The chances of the Xbox crashing is the same for any console. Every console has some sort of OS to operate. The PS 2 uses a Linux based OS. Linux is only good for networking, based on my experience. Linux is however more stable than Windows, but it isn't very viable. This is why you'll be seeing emulators such as Mame for the Xbox and not PS 2. Linux is a real bitc* to program games on. The PS 2 is just as much of a computer as Xbox.

[Jigglypuff]

Originally posted by Plasticman
I believe the Xbox's kernel is on the disc and not the system, so that later on they can make it better. Many people don't know this information, and that's why many of them say that Xbox will crash.

Wrong. If the kernel was stored on the disc, there would be no protocols to run it in the first place. And what if you put in say a CD or DVD? I suppose they have the WinX kernel all on them too?

The kernel will be stored in a small chunk of motherboard bound flash mem (or if M$ are very confident, in a PROM), but it will be updateable by newer drivers (unless they don't leave space on the PROM of course).

Though quite why console should need OS's in the form of the ones we're beginnig to see I don't know.