Operating Systems

Though Microsoft hasn’t released a full version of Windows for Xbox, the folks at xbox-linux.org have developed hardware and software tricks to make the console run Linux. Why bother? Well, Linux gives the Xbox full PC capabilities, including keyboard, mouse, scanner, printer, webcam, DVD burner, USB device, and VGA monitor compatibility. Suddenly, the $149 Xbox can become a portable file server, Web browser, or general-purpose Internet device. Pretty cool.

Amazing Emulation

If you thought the classic game discs from Activision, Atari, and Midway were impressive, classic-game-loving Xbox coders will blow you away. Thanks to their efforts, an Xbox can emulate virtually every one of history’s earlier game systems: HU-Go plays PC Engine/Turbografx-16 games; Kawa-X runs Capcom and SNK arcade games from the CPS, CPS2, and NeoGeo hardware; U64-X emulates both of Rare’s Killer Instinct arcade games; and xSNES9x re-creates virtually the entire Super Nintendo/Super Famicom library. Two versions of the MAME arcade emulator, as well as PlayStation and Nintendo 64 emulators are also available.

Media Playback

Everyone knows the Xbox plays DVDs if you buy a Microsoft remote control, but underground programmers are five steps ahead of the game. Not to be confused with Microsoft’s Xbox Media Center Extender Kit, a program called Xbox Media Center (XBMC) gives an Xbox more powers than Windows Media Player has. XBMC provides local weather forecasts; full DiVX, DVD, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, RealMedia, and Windows Media audio and video playback; and digital-photo slide shows using all major formats. A professional, easy-to-use interface impressively unifies all of XBMC’s features.

Copyright © 2005 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Xbox Nation.