Interesting article in the NYTimes Circuits section last Thursday, entitled "Some Xbox Fans Microsoft Didn't Aim For." Here's a quote:

By e-mail, Mr. Steil, the German leader of the Xbox Linux project, declared: "In very simple words: The Xbox is cheaper than a PC. The Xbox is a lot smaller than a PC. The Xbox looks better (next to a TV set). The Xbox is more silent. Therefore it's an ideal Linux computer in the living room."

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There are many interesting things about this phenomenon: * Can a company restrict use of parts that it sells for a particular purpose, similar to pharmaceuticals? * How great would it be if there was a non-hacker consumer solution for entertainment PCs at this price point * People really want to abandon their CD collections, and will go to great lengths to do so.

Most interesting of all to me is the fact that xbox games are not good enough yet to carry the platform. If the most remarkable thing about the box is it's off-label use, then that's a content problem. Nothing to do with intellectual property of parts etc. The games just have to get better, and people will forget about the fringe.

comment []8:22:01 AM