Microsoft chairman, Bill Gates, speaking at the annual meeting of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers confirmed that Xbox 2/360 will go one step further than its predecessor in creating a media entertainment center hub for the living room.
According to Mr. Gates, the new console, codenamed Xenon by Microsoft, will be even more of a PC hybrid than ever. In order to bridge the gap between a media center PC and the Xenon Microsoft will use all of its usual tricks including a software menu reminiscent of the Media Center edition of Windows. If you're used to that menu, when you use this Xenon you'll see a menu a lot like that that lets you get photos, TV, music and all those different things... said Gates.
During the speech Bill Gates stressed that Microsoft's focus was firmly placed on getting XBox Live to be recognized as the main feature of the console, it is after all through connenctivity that the company will be able to begin delivering other services to the consumer. Extra features of XBox Live on 360 will offer gamers greater control of their online gaming.
Gates was very careful not to mention details about individual features of the new console but insisted that Microsoft had earned the right to compete against Sony on equal terms this time round. What we've got in this at some significant financial cost, was the right to play again with great credibility, Gates said. So now people are looking at the two companies at a pretty much equal basis.
Another noticeable aspect of Bill Gate's speech was the scorn directed at rivals Apple which he claimed is the the super-small market share guy... since they have 4 per cent of the OS market. He did not comment on questions about the recently released Tiger OS which is claimed by many to be the leading Operating System with the richest set of features available but did took another jab at Apple by saying You can always tell if you're working on a Mac or a PC. Just take your applications and stick them in there and see if they run... Microsoft however, is still not a monopoly we are assured.
