If you are Intel, then this is going to sting really bad. The DISC/Apex GameBox is going to powered by AMD’s Athlon XP2000 chip, making it the second game box to be powered by an AMD chip. Nvidia’s GeForce4 MX Graphics will be the graphics chip in the new device. The ApeXtreme (pronounced Apex Extreme) will support the most popular PC games. Additionally, Apex has added Personal Video Recording (PVR) functionality to the device since it was originally unveiled at CES.
bq. “After exhaustive research into how best to optimize the gaming experience for their customers, our partner Apex Digital selected the best price/performance components available for the ApeXtreme,” said Avraham DorEl, President of DISCover. “We know gamers want a console that can support the most popular contemporary games as well as future games, so we are proud to be able to join with Apex Digital to offer gamers a high-end gaming experience at a reasonable price.”
The device combines all the most popular features of Apex Digital’s successful line of DVD players such as Component, Composite, S-Video and DVI output with everything a gamer could want in a game console including a 40GB hard drive and networking capabilities. Additionally, the ApeXtreme boasts 6.1 channel digital audio output, as well as the ability to playback a variety of CD and DVD formats.The ApeXtreme will be available to consumers in the third quarter of 2004 for $499.
But if it costs $499, what’s the point? You can get an actual full-fledged computer for that price, and hook that up to the TV instead! It looks like Apex is forgetting that one of their key advantages is price
You couldn’t get a good gaming PC for that price. Just the price of a good video card will set you pack $300. My guess it will actually be cheaper when it comes to market.
Problem is it doesn’t have a good 3d card, it’s got a Geforce 4 MX which is basically a clocked up GeForce2, you can buy those cards for $50 or less at Wal-Marts everywhere, a 2000+ Athlon chip runs well under $100, a 120GB harddrive can be had for around $100, toss in a cheap mobo with onboard 5.1 sound or even a nice nforce2 board with a Soundstorm chip and you can still toss together a much nicer PC for around the same price complete with a shiney new Radeon 9600 ($95 at newegg.com)
$500? For an Althon XP 2000+ and GeForce 4 MX. What the hell is this for again?