Just for the record, I never get any distracting noise from the hard drive. I do hear the CD drive loading games from time to time but noy the HD.
XBox is awesome! I couldn’t imagine life without mine!
I’ve got the very same problem as the OP. Got a GC for Christmas and am loving it (RE Remake, mmmmmmm) but with the recent price drop I want to get a second console.
I am leaning towards the Xbox because it already includes a HD and a way to get online. With PS2 you have to buy those add-ons seperately which will cost you more down the road. And you’ll need them if online console gaming makes it big.
Someone needs to make a PS2 emulator for the XBox! 
That would solve everything!
Well, I’ll tell you; XBox’s game choice may be limited, but I’m buying one, because the games they have coming this year are positively jaw-dropping. Microsoft has committed to getting a lot of titles out this year. The new Mechwarrior game looks like reason enough to buy one.
MS is committed, folks. They’ll make the XBox work come hell or high water. There will be enough games to make me happy.
I have to share this . My head is spinning. I have to stop seeing my friends and cutting all sociall ties that might take me away from my Xbox this fall.
~t
PolishSausage, yeah but you also need a highspeed net connection for that as stated on the page.
I would rather have a 56k modem connection…thats all I got.
True, handy. I guess it goes to figure, with the amount of info they want to take advantage of, they would go with broadband only. I do have a cable modem at this time, so I’m ready. MS has said that they designed the Xbox for broadband only as a way to keep the system ready for future applications.
I doubt 5 billion (5,000,000,000) is nothing for MS. They do indeed have very deep pockets and will do whatever they can to make it succeed. However, in the end they are a publicly held company and have to answer to the shareholders. They will only spend so much to make it work.
Personally, I think its a great console and I will end up buying one. However, I also think the PS2 is going to walk away with this generation console race.
**As someone who has (sadly) invested several thousand dollars and nearly 80% of his living years into video games, I strongly advise you to buy a Playstation 2. I got a Gamecube a few months back, and have been pleased with it. I’ve been waiting for this price-drop and I picked up a PS2. I learned my lesson the hard way with my N64: The most powerful system is not the best system to own.
While I still have a gripe with a system for causing the premature death of the Dreamcast (the PS2 should have killed the DC, but not at the time it did- there were 2-3 must-have games for it) I have to concede the PS2 is the system to own. Sony won this console race long ago. The only struggle left is that for second place. I hope to see Nintendo claim that spot. Microsoft’s entry into the industry seems almost arrogant to me. I do like that green “X” though. Cool stuff.**
This is the biggest problem with what is holding Xbox back here in America (and possibly abroad). Is the problem with the guts of the system? The price? Games (well maybe at the moment there are only a handfull of bright lights, but by the end of the year if you’re still complaining you’ll need a kick in the head)?
Come on people Xbox has got some great things going for it, relax and have some fun!
~t
Here’s a couple of great, albiet old, articles about GameCube and X-Box’s place in the console market from a mostly business standpoint (that is, they aren’t about what games and what features are on what system).
I agree. However, I don’t see the Xbox “dying”, and definitely not inside a year. Nintendo lost the last round to Sony, but the N64 kept going (relatively) strong and steady right up 'til (and beyond) the release of the Gamecube.
My theory? Microsoft has a rocky start, but after everyone recoups from purchasing a PS2 or GC, they’ll snag a Xbox… right around the time when the others start showing their age. Then there’ll be a big boom in Box sales, followed soon after by the release the PS3 and Xbox2…
Heh. And here I am playing Halo online, already, for free. Personally, I think they’ll get rid of the fee pretty damned quick… I remember way back when PC online gaming started, and places like WON were charging for their services. Nowadays, it’s free.
But a headset seems like it’d be nice… unfortunately, I learned from Counterstrike: The only people who actually use the headset are the people who shouldn’t.
Where are you guys playing halo online?
More importantly, how?
download and install a small app, and then you can meet friends there or meet new people in chat room to start game. You can either join or host a game, and you can leave it open or password protected to allow or limit who can join your games. You’ll need at least cable modem / DSL.
It’s worked very well for me so far.
I forgot, you need to run a network cable from you PC to your Xbox while you are doing this. so you’ll also need a network card on your PC. I didn’t have one, but got around it with a USB–>LAN converter (about $20 on ebay).
You can also play halo online using the gamespy arcade service
go to www.gamespy.com and click on the arcade link