Hands on with Xbox 360 at Windows Vista event
by Vladimir Cole 
{ Jul 28th 2005 at 9:11AM }
Blogger Jason Dunn attended the big Windows Vista unveiling at the Microsoft campuses in
Redmond on Tuesday and got to spend a bit of time learning about the Xbox 360.
His write-up details how the Xbox 360 will interact with Media Center PCs, how it will function as a multimedia device for the living room, and the performance of video played through the Xbox 360.
Besides streaming media, the Xbox 360 will also support media that has been ripped and stored on the 20GB hard drive that will ship with certain Xbox configurations. Dunn speculates that the system will only play Windows file formats, but it's only a matter of time before other formats are hacked into it.
Pictured at right is the "tall" remote referenced in the article. If remote control design becomes a key differentiating factor, expect Sony to release an even longer remote and Nintendo to defensively remind us that it's not really the size of the remote that counts, but what you can do with it.
That's a big remote! It's got a number of buttons for Media Center PCs. It's also got a phone dial pad. Is that a microphone hole just above the asterisk key? Is this phallic monster a telephone?
We hereby dub this great big white wonder Moby Click.
[Via Xbox Scene, and props to Pappy for the remote name.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Lectoid @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
That hole could either be for a speaker (locater beep!) or possibly a reset hole. It could be a mic hole, but it would make more sense if it was at the top of the remote.
xbox360-forums.com @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
Perhaps microsoft have so much confidence in the remote that it already has a 'reset' feature. :)
http://www.xbox360-forums.com
Mr.Ortiz @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
That's no remote, that's the new controller! See what you get for complaining, people?!
Alternate:
That's no remote, it's a space station!
retro @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
:| I sent you guys the picture of this remote countless months ago...
vladimir cole @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
And we posted it posted it too: http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000387045360/
The remote really isn't the point of the post, it's just funny. ;)
Quantis @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
FINALLY! The feature that the XBOX forgot: The power button on the remote.
I don't know how many times I have sat down infront of my TV (and turned it on by remote) then realized I had to get up and cross the room to turn on my xbox.
Whuh? @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
Are you stupid, there's an on/off button.
Xlash @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
Quantis... haven't you looked a bit on how to do that? I have created my own Power ON/OFF from the Select & 0 button on the Xbox remote. There are commercial plug n play product which does the same thing!!!!
Zazeeman @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
I think that's just a period above the asterix key.
vladimir cole @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
A non-distorted photo makes it clearer. It really appears to be a hole: http://media.teamxbox.com/dailyposts/xbox360/specs/remote.jpg
TurboDonky @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
Black remotes are bigger
Jeremy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
"Pictured at right is the “tall” remote referenced in the article. If remote control design becomes a key differentiating factor, expect Sony to release an even longer remote and Nintendo to defensively remind us that it’s not really the size of the remote that counts, but what you can do with it."
Nintendo is right, again!
mr.karmalicious @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
"Pictured at right is the tall remote referenced in the article. If remote control design becomes a key differentiating factor, expect Sony to release an even longer remote and Nintendo to defensively remind us that its not really the size of the remote that counts, but what you can do with it."
Bahahaha, that was great :D.
Justin @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
If that's a phone then it must have some sort of charger that goes with it, just as most cordless phones do.
brendan @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
you know what would be a kickass feature... is if it was also a uiversal remote... I hate having 4 damn remotes to run my damn theatre setup... time to get a logitech...
Pappy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
You should fix the typo...
I'm sure you meant Moby Click.
:)
The Jeremy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
It looks like a modified (Xbox360 branded) remote control already on the market from, I believe, Philips. The remote I am referencing was a universal remote that also had TiVo specific buttons on it. But that's not hard to believe that Microsoft would take an off-the-shelf remote and modify it; the current official Xbox DVD remote is a specialized version of a remote GE sells for less than $10. At least with the Xbox360 remote, you apparently can turn on (and off) the Xbox360, unlike the Xbox DVD remote.
JimyD @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
The phone-style pad is probably there for text messaging since using the controller for leaving text messages on Xbox Live is a bit of a pain.
lameismyname @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
i think the 360 is shipping with a hdd as standard. i smell fanboys
chill @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
Thats a big bitch.....
Droford @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
The little hole is probably one of those reset holes that you have to stick a pin in to reset the remote.
Adam P @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
"...and Nintendo to defensively remind us that its not really the size of the remote that counts, but what you can do with it."
Like strech an animated Mario face, woop-te-do!
"i think the 360 is shipping with a hdd as standard. i smell fanboys"
I smell an uninformed 13 year old. Go listen to the XBOX 360 E3 Keynote speach, leet boy.
The "phone dial pad" (by the way, it's called a numaric keypad or just, a keypad,) are to be used mostly to change tv channels while watching TV via a Media Center PC. And MS has said that (at least they did earlier, haven't heard too much since) that the remote will function as a univeral remote. Jeeze people, do a little reading.
Starxxon @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
"expect Sony to release an even longer remote and Nintendo to defensively remind us that its not really the size of the remote that counts, but what you can do with it."
Wow did you guys had inside info about the Nintendo Revolution controller? Now that it was revealed today at the TGS, this phrase looks just like a new slogan for the thing :)