A New Way to Play PC Games

[BigBenAussie]

I think there's a market for this device, which I heard about quite a while ago. If you consider that the current Xbox is merely a PC and that this is practically the same hardware you have the potential to have games as good as an Xbox. I don't think the device is far fetched at all technologically speaking with its plug and play concept, however there is no differentiation in terms of it being a platform in its own right as its still a PC. Who knows, they may sell a few if its priced ok.

It strikes me that with concepts like this there is no sense of differentiation, no sense of fandom or allegiance. Its just another ho-hum PC clone. No one at all will miss it if it died. I think its a different case with the Amiga but I am biased.

O crap the price is ok.
US $299-$399 for p4 1ghz 256meg 40gigHD as entry level. That's quite good. If other PC companies start to do it then the set top box concept as it stands is in trouble for Amiga unless they can significantly differentiate and bank on the Amiga name for what it is worth.
Apextreme is a cool name though.
http://www.apextreme.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=91

I have to say that the box is a step in the right direction to where the Amiga needs to go. A little on the bland side but reasonable. The Amiga needs more pizazz to set itself astride the likes of Macs. It sounds ridiculous but an innovative concept in terms of case design could generate a lot of interest for a new Amiga box as an feasable and stylish alternative platform.

The other thing to mention is that building such a set top box, succeed or fail, is not a bad step for the Amiga community as we simply will have a different footprint for our favourite hardware. Its all good. Not even all the current Amiga community cares to upgrade to the fastest or most versatile thing available. An entry level set top box harms no-one and may just get some newbies back on board.

[BigBenAussie]

I think it runs on WinCE and exposes the DirectX API to the games. Maybe I'm getting confused with the Phantom console. Although I heard someone on a newsgroup forum say that it doesn't have Windows running behind it so potentially the games would be faster than a similarly specced PC. Wait, I think its got Windows Xp, embedded edition.

I imagine the licensing is much, much cheaper for WinCE, or WinXP embedded than fully blown Windows. As far as MS is concerned its all good as they win any way you look at it. You know, I'm a little surprised that Apple haven't released a really easy peasy set top box yet that integrates with your IPod or a successor to iPod which'll stream movies.

Actually, come to think of it, one advantage KMOS now has with OS4 is that they have probably paid less for OS4 than for continuing to license from MS. A set top box seems the only likely reason KMOS bought OS4. We were already going to get it on a desktop, so why did they buy in otherwise unless its to gain them some sort of advantage in a different area? Garry Hare's background is streaming video and internet delivery mechanisms. The very technology that could revolutionise the industry and put Amiga back on the road, if not at the head of the pack, in this area.