Something MS didn't factor into their plans?

I know, HABS will!!!!

- things would have to go pretty horribly wrong for them not to hit the 8mill mark by the end of next year, maybe not common sense how about "very reasonable expectation"?

 

Also I just set up my media center extender, and it kicks ass! being able to pause live TV from a console, browse listings, schedule recordings, browse your HDD for music(in game!!), create playlists from your HDD lots of cool stuff.

It's worth mentioning that when PS3 does start to close the gap and maybe pull ahead we're looking at ~2009, at that point Windows Vista will be very widespread, and X360 will probably be $99 for the HDD-less sku.

You'll have a fully functioning media extender, that works with the majority of PC's at the time, for $99, and it just happens to have a huge collection of games. It's gonna be a tough opponent for Sony I think.

 

you can do alot of that stuff already NOW! with a modded xbox with mediacenter software. stream movies, play movies , stream play whatever it is on your mind an not only WMA files but almost every type of video type under the sun

 

I agree on this. Also, MS just signed a deal to have cablecard support in MCE next year which means HD programming from cable providers which was the last stumbling block in that department.

An MCE extender that can play games of 360s caliber plus xbox live, i think its going to be a very interesting holiday 2006.

 

i know, I have had XBMC for almost 3 years now.

But as a selling point, since Vista will have MCE embedded, and will be widespread by the time x360 hits the $99-$150 range, it's a great feature for nabbing the casual customer. Out of the box connectivity with your home PC, and acts as the perfect media extender.

btw: acting as an extender the x360 is much slicker than XBMC, and it's also much easier to use, no editing XML files, no FTPing anything, just browse your shared drive, it also has the functionality of live TV, and recorded TV, including HD recording/playback support! Other than the fact that it can only play WMV's (which IS a very big deal) it kills XBMC in everything from ease of use, to features, even the visualizer is superior, and abiltity to browse your PC HDD in-game is genius.

So I agree XBMC is better cause it plays everything under the sun, but every other category has to goto the X360 Media Centre Extender.

 

Unfortunately this days anyone can open an office and call himself an analyst

I wonder who really are the analysts.Its like some imposters are getting paid to say whatever they want.Sometimes their predictions are even worse than the casual members' browsing the forums.

Its almost as if they have no idea of what they are talking about

 

This is something that I said months ago, yet some people thought I was crazy to say that.