The most recent Xbox 360 update, which I in fact just downloaded, is not the fancy Twitter, Last.fm update, but an update that provides support for the “new wireless N adapter slated to release later this year.” Whew. My prediction still holds.
Side note: WHY doesn’t the Xbox 360 come with a Wireless adapter for FREE?! The PS3 does, and the Wii does. The PS3 originally cost more so, fine, you can argue that’s a premium feature. But what about the Wii?! It was cheaper than the Xbox 360, had an Ethernet port AND a wireless adapter. Please explain Microsoft.
Side note 2: WHY does the Xbox 360 wireless G adapter cost $99?! That is more than a router and a wireless adapter for your computer! How much will the wireless N adapter cost? $149? GAAAAAHHH!
Sigh. Someday, when I rule the world…
Ok here are the two models.
– One super machine that contains everything so you know exactly what your customers are using. Really expensive
– Two machines, aside from a hard disk, the absolute barebones of what you need to get started and sold at a loss. Initial price is low. You then sell everything else at a premium to compensate for the loss leader core.
Now with a 360 you do have choices, you could use ethernet over power, a wired connection or a 3rd party bridge. You don’t have to buy the 360 addon. Same for batteries. You must buy 360 hard disks and not just any laptop drive though. Same for memory cards.
You do have a point. But, as you said, you still are forced to buy the branded version of the hard drive and memory card. I just don’t like that closed approach. You can swap out PS3 hard drives and Wii memory cards at will… It didn’t work well for Apple even, staying so closed hardware wise. Consoles are different I suppose.
Even though you can purchase a different solution for 360 networking, a 3rd party wireless adapter, which is all I really need, should ideally be affordable and not cost prohibitive… and most important, not difficult to configure. The cheapest I have found is $64, and it is a true no-name knockoff.
I guess I had just better get used to the lack of choice that seems common when our console overlords take over.