New PC Computer Console!

[JJ Moore]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3414281.stm - :y: pretty cool but only a 1.2 GhZ Processer :n:

[Kane Knight]

For 400 bucks, I could probably buy a comparable computer...

In fact...

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/advertised_dimen?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

[JJ Moore]

yeah i was saying to a friend how for that money you could build ur own PC that much better then the one u mention KK! :)

=EDIT=

Excluding Monitor, Mouse & Keyboard.

[Kane Knight]

yeah i was saying to a friend how for that moeny you could build ur own PC that much better then the one u mention KK! :)

Yeah, but this isn't playing to the tech geek who'll build their own computer. This is playing tsomeone who wants it simple. And since the Dell model is 400 bucks (Well, after the rebate) out of the box, it's plug and play, no muss no fuss, I linked to a more feasible computer...

[JJ Moore]

touchét, but what gfx card is there with it :P

games like Half Life 2 are taking a new step into the gaming world, U'd need to spend about £140 / $200 to get a decent card, e.g. ATI Radeon 9600 XT

[Kane Knight]

touchét, but what gfx card is there with it :P

games like Half Life 2 are taking a new step into the gaming world, U'd need to spend about £140 / $200 to get a decent card, e.g. ATI Radeon 9600 XT

A company technician admitted that even some current games, such as Call of Duty, would be "a bit choppy" on the ApeXtreme.

From the article you posted.

I didn't notice a mention here of a specific graphics card either, but it already sounds like this console would have limits on what it could run with these games taking a new step.

At least with a PC, you CAN blow that 200 bucks to upgrade your graphics card, should you be running games that need it.

However, again, this isn't something that's reavent to the casual gamer this is geared towards. People who want a cutting-edge gaming system wouldn't be buying a 400 computer or gaming system, they'd be dropping a couple grand on a system with real power.

[JJ Moore]

However, again, this isn't something that's reavent to the casual gamer this is geared towards. People who want a cutting-edge gaming system wouldn't be buying a 400 computer or gaming system, they'd be dropping a couple grand on a system with real power.

Good point, irrelevent but good point none the less :p

[JJ Moore]

anyway, kinda cool idea but pointless in my opinion, i think it will flop.

[Kane Knight]

I totally agree, and I feel sorry for anyone who buys this.

If they think that this'll last 5 years as a viable option, they must be smoking something.

My computer is a former bleeding edge PC. I don't even think it's been 5 years since I got it, and it's pretty totally obsolete. It's not even as good as that 400 dollar computer, and I've upgraded it basically as far as it'll go (save video card). It doesn't play most of the new games out there...And they're expecting this console to have a better shelf life in the ever-evolving world of PC technology than a normal console will in the gaming world, where people don't design games with new tech in mind until it actually hits the market (Significantly less frequently than the PC market).

[Kane Knight]

Good point, irrelevent but good point none the less :p

Pefectly relavent. It's exactly why this system's not that hot.

--It doesn't have the power to play all current games.

--It doesn't have the capacity for upgrade

--This will never be marketed to diehard gamers, who will be willing to pay more to get systems that WILL run games six months from now.

--Considering the fact that it is anticipated to play some current games choppily, it's not better off necessarily than the PC I linked to. With the upgrading considerations, it would be far smarter to pay a little more so you can actually play the games.

--I'm waaaay too lazy to use a listing function.

[Mike the Metal Ed]

It looked cool at first, but then I remembered I can get the same result from using the video-out on my PC to connect it to my TV.

[road doggy dogg]

At least with a PC, you CAN blow that 200 bucks to upgrade your graphics card, should you be running games that need it.

Yep, exactly. That's why PCs are so much better for gaming than consoles. You don't have to buy a new PC every 2-3 years just to play the latest games.

Mind you, upgrading will probably cost about the same as getting a new system (i.e. if you were on N64 going to GC, the cost of buying a GC would probably be about the same as the cost required to get a better video card to play the more modern games)

With that in mind, PC is still nice because you can still play every single one of your older games, while on console most of your games are rendered pretty much useless. (except PS2 can play PSX games, GC can play GBA games, special cases like that)



Aaaaaaaanyways, it seems like a good idea on paper, but I don't think it will really take off. I'm really curious if the console will require you to put in CD-keys for games and stuff. Something like that will probably be a weird new experience for console gamers...

[Jesus Shuttlesworth]

I don't think PCs are better for gaming than consoles. That does look dumb, though

[road doggy dogg]

Well it depends, really. Like for you, I know you're more into the sports games and whatnot, so yeah consoles are better for that. Especially since they now have online capabilites (something that PC has been far superior to consoles in for years)


It all depends on your favourite type of game and stuff. Like for PC, an RTS (real-time strategy) game like Starcraft is muuuuuch better than on console, because of the mouse/keyboard and all. On the other hand, some people prefer consoles for FPS (first person shooter) games because of the controller. You can buy controllers for PC, but they're not as good as the ones out for PS2 and GC (IMO).

I dunno, a lot of it is just personal preference I guess

[Kane Knight]

Yep, exactly. That's why PCs are so much better for gaming than consoles. You don't have to buy a new PC every 2-3 years just to play the latest games.

Mind you, upgrading will probably cost about the same as getting a new system (i.e. if you were on N64 going to GC, the cost of buying a GC would probably be about the same as the cost required to get a better video card to play the more modern games)

With that in mind, PC is still nice because you can still play every single one of your older games, while on console most of your games are rendered pretty much useless. (except PS2 can play PSX games, GC can play GBA games, special cases like that)



Aaaaaaaanyways, it seems like a good idea on paper, but I don't think it will really take off. I'm really curious if the console will require you to put in CD-keys for games and stuff. Something like that will probably be a weird new experience for console gamers...


There are some gives and takes. A good computer now will probably last as long as most consoles without any issue, give you more gaming options, and so on. Upgrading is an issue still, and I won't pretend it isn't, but if you're playing PC games you're probably bettwe off just going for a PC, investing a few extra hundred bucks in the long run, because this system won't be upgradable (And I can't see it selling well).

That being said, I still buy consoles. I don't really do enough gaming to merit an expensive deck to keep on par. I probably would have hesitated on a PS2 if not for it doubling as a DVD player, a function which would have cost me another hundred bucks alone had I puchased it by itself at the time...

I'm content with conoles, but if I had the money to invest regularly, I'd probably prefer to go for PC games a lot. Not all of them are awesome, but there are enough solid ones that it'd be worth my time.

[Bad Guy]

OMG! I HAVE TO HAVE THIS!!!! OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG !!!!! :shifty:

[Apocolyptik1]

IMO games on PC are always better then their counterparts on consoles. Controllers are cool, but you always have more handle on a game if you use a mouse and a keyboard. The controllers on a keyboard are actually very decent depending how much money you want to spend. Nobody plays a sport game on a pc. Nerd's=PC'S, we dont play sports games, but we do love shooting things and commanding troops to kill other things. If anyone can think back to starcraft 64...wow that game was so choppy lameassed compared to the smooth nice pc game.

In a way it is cool, they just could have done better.

[LoDownM]

Pfft. My computer is better then that, and it only cost 150.

[sucafrutpi]

i have to wonder if embedded windows xp is subject to all the problems as regular xp. if it runs off solid state memory if should be fine, but anytime you have a hard drive with programs getting installed on it, at some point it will have to be scan disk-ed and defragged. i have to wonder if they considered this when they designed it.