New Game Console From APEX!

[Tearren]

VIA / APEX enters console market, games playable from CD and DVD
Posted by Jan Willem on 06 January 2004 - 19:02 - Source: HardOCP.com


GristyMcFisty used our news submit once again to tell us that VIA will enter the console market. VIA is manufacturer of chipsets for e.g mainboards and also offers solutions for soundcards and videocards. The new console will make use of all this technology and run on a stripped version of Windows XP. Intresting is that the device does not need any special discs or memory cards, but will run normal PC games.


It will be powered by a near-instant-on version of WinXP (embedded) with Windows Media Player, and as you can obliviously see from the pictures, will have removable media in the form of DVD/CD. We are told the OS will not be "locked down", certainly inviting many modifications by the end user. The video processor behind the box will be VIA's S3 DeltaChrome graphics processor, and VIA 5.1 "Vinyl" audio will supply 5.1 sound.

Six USB2 ports, RCA, DVI, and S-video outs, SPDIF out, 10/100 Ethernet and modem, and get a load of this, Component Video Out! Yes, it supports High Def signaling. This thing has got “DivX Jukebox” written all over it and I already want one for my living room. It seems as though a 40GB IDE hard drive that is NOT proprietarily formatted will be the main storage for the system. I would think expanding the storage might be very easy to accomplish succesfully. Pricepoints and scaling of models is yet to be known by us.

Obviously, you can play DVD movies, audio and video CDs, and PC games on the box. We were also told that versions of games are being developed that you do not have to "load". Simply put the CD in and play, much like is used on other consoles. We were also told that price points will be at US9 and US9 and that you should be able to buy them pretty much anywhere Apex appliances are now sold. So that means the bigger electronics stores in North America.

More information about this device can be found here. I guess for many this will be an usefull multimedia device. Europeans who can get this drive shipped from the US also save 25% on the costs due the low dollar.

http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/8814

Tearren

[lordsmurf]

A poor man's Nintendo.

Apex is okay at DVD. I hope they let Americans write the manuals, not Chinese->English translation software.

Anybody ever read a APEX book?

[Gazorgan]

For $400 I can build one myself (albeit minus the HDTV out). Actually closer to $300, but have to tune the W2K for a minimal install.

Now if they were $199, I'd seriously consider it as a DivX/RM jukebox.

[SatStorm]

The chipset terrorist (VIA) meets hardware private Snafu (Apex)...

Just imagine: All kind of problems any VIA chipset has, compained with the low quality hardware of all the Apex models...

If you ask me: Those machines gonna Plug in and Boom! It is a terrorism action against US citizens for sure! Beware!

[Faustus]

An Apex console would play every single came ever created in the history of video games. But only with two colors black, and grey.

[mazinz]

HAHA but what would really be funny is if someone made it so (or the system itself) played xbox or ps2 games. Just a poor mans pc