The meaning of Xbox; Microsoft.(Xbox 360)
Economist (US), The, November, 2005
Does the launch of the Xbox 360 herald Microsoft's reinvention of itself?
WHAT is the meaning of Xbox? Its name has horribly geeky origins: the bit of Microsoft's Windows software that does fancy graphics is called DirectX, so when the company moved into games consoles in 2001, it wanted a "DirectX box" that was optimised for graphical performance. But never mind the term's literal meaning. What does the glitzy launch this week of its successor, the Xbox 360, at a hangar in the Mojave Desert, tell us about the world's biggest software company? The answer comes in three levels.
First, the launch of the Xbox 360 is the most vivid illustration so far of Microsoft's advance into markets outside its original business of making software for desktop and...
- 5 Rules for Immediate Annuities
- Death in the Family: 12 Things to Do Now
- Dumbest Things You Do With Your Money
- 6 Online Networking Mistakes to Avoid
- 401(k) Mistakes to Avoid
- 5 Economic Scenarios to Keep You Up at Night
- The Real ‘Best Places to Retire’
- Best Credit Cards for You
- 12 Tough Questions to Ask Your Parents
- The Real ‘Best Colleges’
- Home Buyer Tax Credit: How to Cash In
- Why You Shouldn't Bash Cash
- 8 Phony 'Bargains' and Better Alternatives
- Danger: 3 Debit Card Scams to Avoid
- 6 Myths About Gas Mileage
- 29 Fees We Hate Most
- Quick and Easy Ways to Boost Returns
- Best Stocks to Buy Now
- Lower Your Taxes: 10 Moves to Make Now
- New Jobs: 8 Lessons from Real-Life Career Switchers
- The New Job Market: Who Wins and Who Loses?
- Health Care Reform's Public Option: Everything You Need to Know
- Volunteer Work When Unemployed: Should You Work for Free?
- Whose Recovery Is This?
- Long-Term-Care Insurance: 4 Biggest Risks to Avoid
Most Recent Business Articles
- Fox Networks Group and Bright House Networks Strike Comprehensive Deal to Distribute Fox Broadcast Stations, National Cable and Regional Sports Networks
- Fox Networks Group and Time Warner Cable Strike Comprehensive Deal to Distribute Fox Broadcast Stations, National Cable and Regional Sports Networks
- Houston Radio D.J. Kevin Kline Completes 500-Mile, 13-Day Ultramarathon Across Texas for Kids with Cancer
- Seaspan Corporation Provides Information on the CSCL Hamburg
- Dodecylamine improves nanocrystal synthesis
Most Recent Business Publications
Most Popular Business Articles
- 7 tips for effective listening: productive listening does not occur naturally. It requires hard work and practice - Back To Basics - effective listening is a crucial skill for internal auditors
- FAS 109: a primer for non-accountants - Financial Accounting Standards Board's "Statement 109: Accounting for Income Taxes"
- LIFO vs. FIFO: a return to the basics
- Using object-oriented analysis and design over traditional structured analysis and design
- Design a commission plan that drives sales - Sales Commissions



