March 27, 2007
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Even though an official announcement has not yet been made by Microsoft, plenty of print and internet sources are unofficially heralding the forthcoming Xbox 360 Elite system.
Dean Takahashi of the San Jose Mercury News recently chimed in with his sources, claiming that the Elite (or, more specifically, its comparably larger 120 GB hard drive) will be featured as an introductory platform for Microsoft’s new IPTV service. As a result, the Xbox 360 will double as an IPTV set-top box, allowing users the luxury of viewing television programming after it’s piped through their console systems.
Takahashi also writes that, given Microsoft’s track record of redesigning motherboards and reducing chip costs on a yearly basis, another major change is in store for the Xbox 360 starting this fall. According to his sources, the microprocessors that power the Xbox 360 will be reduced in size from 90 nanometers to 65 nanometers, which will benefit Microsoft in a number of ways, including reduced costs, increased production capacity, and more efficient hardware.
Meanwhile, news broke out in a rather unexpected place as a Microsoft employee, labeled as an “XNA Framework Developer,” may have inadvertently admitted to the Elite’s existence. In a forum thread on the Microsoft Developer Network, one inquiring poster asked whether the HDMI output on the “revised 360″ would require any code changes. The developer, known as “Shawn Hargreaves,” responded by saying, “No changes required,” thereby possibly confirming the system’s existence!
