Here some juice on the X-Box

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Tyr-Sog

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Xbox System Software Overview - official leaked document from the XDK

The system software of the Microsoft® Xbox® game system will provide a small, fast, safe, robust, and customizable environment to enable the creation of great games for the Xbox game system. It will provide a set of useful common services to be taken advantage of by game developers, such as networking and file system input/output, so that developers can focus on creating great games. It will also provide an attractive, easy-to-use interface for functions other than running games, such as playing DVD movies or CD music or configuring the Xbox console.

The Xbox system software will have these components:

 The Xbox read-only memory (ROM)
 The Xbox Dashboard
 The Xbox Title Libraries

Xbox Game System ROM
The ROM of the motherboard on the Xbox console will provide the following system-software services:

 Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL)
 Driver model
 Hard disk driver
 DVD driver
 FAT32 file system
 UDFS file system
 Copy-protection support
 Certificate/signature validation
 Basic application services such as the application loader, memory management, and threading

For more information about the design and functionality of the Xbox software system, see the following topics:

 Software System Kernel
 Power Up
 Media Detection
 Game Launch


Software System Kernel
The kernel is based on Microsoft® Windows® 2000. Many features of Windows 2000 are not included in the Xbox system software, including those related to running on multiple hardware platforms or running multiple processes at once. For more information about unsupported Microsoft® Win32® application programming interfaces (APIs), see Win32 API (below).

There will be no support for code running in user mode (Ring 3) on the Xbox game system. All code will execute in kernel mode (Ring 0). Only one process runs at a time, and that process will support multiple threads. There is no Windows 2000 desktop user interface; the user interface is provided by the individual Xbox games or the Xbox Dashboard if no game is running.


Power Up
When the user turns on the console, the system software is decompressed out of read-only memory (ROM) into random access memory (RAM). Once in RAM, the system software initializes the hardware (DVD, audio, video, and so on).

After the hardware has been initialized, the system software will display the boot graphic and play the startup sound. Because there are no video or audio drivers in the kernel, this is done by poking the registers of the sound and video card directly. This graphic and sound will play approximately 1 second from the time the machine is turned on.


Media Detection
Upon power up and during the display of the startup graphic and the playing of sound, the system software attempts to determine what type of media is in the DVD drive. If it determines that the media is a game, it loads the game into RAM, checks the signature of the game to verify that it is an authentic copy, then starts playing the game. If the media is not a game, the Xbox Dashboard is run as follows:

 Movies are played by the Xbox Dashboard video player.
 Audio CDs are played by the Xbox Dashboard audio player.
 If unsupported media is present, an invalid content message is shown and the Xbox Dashboard game-system-configuration user interface runs.
 If no media is present, the Xbox Dashboard game-system-configuration user interface runs.

For more information, see Xbox Dashboard (below).

Supported media are CD, DVD, CD-RW, or DVD-R. There is no CD-R support.

Game Launch
Once the system software has determined that the media contains an Xbox game, it loads the game developer bitmaps, publisher bitmaps, license bitmaps, and so on. These will be stored in a predetermined location on the DVD, will contain no executable code, and will be identified with a predefined schema. The system software will display these bitmaps sequentially, after the boot graphic and sound have appeared, while the game itself is being streamed from the DVD into RAM. As the game image is streamed into memory, the system software checks the signatures of each section of the image on the fly.

Once the game image is in memory, the system software will start the game. At this point, the kernel is acting in conjunction with the Xbox Title Libraries to provide all of the basic services for the game itself.

The Xbox game image format is not compatible with other executable systems, such as Windows 2000 executable format. The Xbox game image must be loaded by the Xbox system software application, loading utilities directly into RAM in 64-megabyte (MB) blocks. Unlike standard Windows 2000 applications, there are no dynamic-link library (DLL) loads, no fixups, and so on.

Xbox Title Libraries
The Xbox Title Libraries define the programming model used to develop software for the Xbox game system. They consist of all APIs provided with the Xbox Development Kit, which are linked into every title written for the Xbox game system, including:

 Subset of the Microsoft Win32 APIs
 Subset of the Microsoft® DirectX® 8.0 APIs
 Xbox video driver
 Xbox audio driver
 Xbox universal serial bus (USB) driver
 Xbox modem driver
 Xbox memory unit support
 Xbox network stack: media access control (MAC), Network Driver
Interface Specification (NDIS), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Winsock

The primary programming model for the Xbox game system will be defined by the Xbox Title Libraries. Because the Xbox Title Libraries are partitioned into distinct libraries (modular), game developers can pick and choose which libraries are appropriate for their title. For example, if a game will support online play, they include the Xbox networking library with their game. If no online play support is planned, they do not include the Xbox networking library. While some support is implemented in the kernel of the system software in the Xbox game system ROM (for example, file system support, threading, memory management), the APIs to access these features are exposed through the Xbox Title Libraries.

Note All Xbox-compatible code runs at Ring 0 on the Xbox game system, which means the Xbox Title Libraries are implemented in kernel mode and all games run in kernel mode. However, all Xbox Title Libraries will be signature-compatible with their user-mode implementation. From a developer's perspective, the Xbox Title Libraries function as they would in user mode. Kernel mode results in faster performance at run time.

For more information about the components of the Xbox Title Libraries, see the following topics:
 Win32 API
 Graphics
 Input
 Audio
 Video
 Networking
 New Xbox Services

Win32 API
A subset of the Win32 APIs is supported by the Xbox system software. We are currently doing analysis to determine exactly which APIs will be needed. Some omissions from the standard Win32 environment will include portions of the User, Graphics Device Interface (GDI), OLE, or the Services interfaces. Any APIs from User and GDI that are essential will be included as needed.

Services from Windows 2000 not available in the Xbox system software include:
 Services
 Plug and play
 Additional hardware enumeration
 Hot docking
 All unsupported drivers
 Power management
 Virtual memory (paging)
 Multiple-process support
 Multiple-processor support
 Windows NT File System (NTFS)

Graphics
Microsoft® Direct3D® will be the primary graphics API for the Xbox game system. Direct3D for the Xbox game system will be based on DirectX 8.0, and implemented using a custom driver specific to the final NVIDIA chipset and video adapter. The graphics API for the Xbox game system is compatible with DirectX at the API layer, while providing the thinnest, fastest-possible access to the video hardware. The Direct3D driver is combined with the HAL to create a completely monolithic driver implementation.

The drivers support both National Television System Committee (NTSC) and Phase Alternating Line (PAL) TV output. Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) video is supported.
Input

The Xbox controller connections and external peripheral connection are USB ports with an Xbox proprietary connector. The Xbox game system implements USB drivers for any possible peripherals connected to the Xbox console. Only full-speed USB is supported.

An API specific to the Xbox game system, based on Microsoft® DirectInput®, is used for development with most Xbox controllers. Xbox-licensed game systems should work without an additional driver. This assumes that Xbox consoles do not introduce any new axis or capability not covered by the standard Xbox game system API.

Audio
The audio APIs for the Xbox game system are based on subsets of Microsoft® DirectSound® and Microsoft® DirectMusic®, from DirectX 8.0. Audio streaming will not be based on Microsoft® DirectShow®, however. Instead, an Xbox-specific audio streaming API will be implemented for high quality CD playback without skipping, and without undue CPU utilization. The following features are supported by the Xbox audio APIs:
 WAV files
 MIDI playback
 Interactive music
 Microsoft Windows Media™ (WMA) files
 3D sound

There is no support for Redbook audio or random instruments.

Video
Like audio streaming, the video streaming API for the Xbox game system will not be based on DirectShow. Instead, an Xbox-specific video streaming API will be implemented.

Networking
Xbox hardware includes two devices for online connectivity:
 Built-in Ethernet card for broadband: cable modems, digital subscriber line (DSL) or local network
 Optional 56-kilobits per second (Kbps) modem peripheral for dial-up, with a USB modem driver and dialer included in the Xbox Title Libraries

The Xbox Title Libraries include networking services for online capabilities. Included with these will be TCP/IP and Winsock support. If online connectivity is not wanted for a game, the Xbox networking libraries should not be linked and included with the game title.

The API to access networking services is based on a subset of Microsoft® DirectPlay® from DirectX 8.0. DirectPlay lobby or voice features will not be supported, however.

New Xbox Services
The Xbox system software will include new services specific to the Xbox game sytem and not based on any existing Win32 or DirectX APIs. New services provided by the Xbox Title Libraries include:
 High-score publishing, including a common format to be shared online.
 Virtual keyboard support for simplified text entry and game-specific skins.
 User identity that associates names, preferences, and statistics to be shared online.
 Hard disk management to allow usage of the Xbox hard disk by game titles for configuration stores, cache space, and so on.

Xbox Dashboard
The Xbox Dashboard is an application installed on the Xbox hard disk, which essentially is the user interface when a game is not running in the Xbox game system. The Xbox Dashboard provides the following services:
 DVD player
 CD player
 System configuration utilities for the Xbox game system
 Multiplayer and online connectivity utilities
 Saved game management
 Error handling
Initially, the user interface of the Xbox Dashboard offers the following choices to the user:
 Play
 Configure
 Go online
 Manage games

DVD Player
This can be configured for AutoPlay (so that a DVD video will play simply by inserting into the Xbox console and powering up) or for manual control, which presents controls for pause, skip, and so on.

CD Player
This can be configured for AutoPlay (so that an audio CD will play simply by inserting into the Xbox console and powering up) or for manual control, which presents controls for pause, skip, playlist management, and so on.

Xbox Game System Configuration
This presents the user interface for all preferences and settings for the Xbox game system, including the following:
 Video configuration
 Audio configuration
 Parental control
 Date and time

Multiplayer and Online
This presents the user interface for all online connectivity, including the following:
 Lobby browser
 Lobby favorites
 High score browser
 Xbox Zone browser
 Online sign-up and configuration

Saved Game Management
This presents the user interface for hard disk management, including saving, deleting, and copying games between the Xbox hard disk and the Xbox Zone (online).

Error Handling
Errors that occur during system-boot execution of the Xbox Dashboard will be handled by the Xbox Dashboard. However, hardware errors (for example, hard disk failure) will be handled by the Xbox system software. Game errors also are not handled by the Xbox Dashboard, but by the game software itself.

Jason Brown, Web Editor, XBOX365
 
The Xbox will work like this.... pop in Game, turn on console, have crappy Microsoft product crash, try process again, have game boot up, play game for 5 minutes and then have it crash, throw console in garbage, hear Bill Gates laugh as he rakes in piles of money for another junky Microsoft product.


;) just kidding...although I'm sure quite a few people think that way
 
I can see it now:
1.) Turn on the machine
2.) Bootup sequence with buncha bios stuffs
3.) "Loading Microsoft Xbox OS"
4.) The Xbox Sound and loads up that user inteface
5.) At the bottom of the screen is a taskbar type thingy with all the config buttons and stuff
6.) Pop in game CD and it will autoplay with the option to "Play" (From disc) or "Install" (To HD for faster perf)
7.) Choose either and run game
8.) "XXXXX <game> has performed an illigal operation and will be shut down. <OK> <Details>"
9.) Click on details and it says a whole buncha garbage that only codemasters will recognize and you see something like "This program has performed an illigal operation in D3D8.DLL"
10.) Find out a few days later that Xbox has a missing DX8 file and microsoft tells owners to login to Xbox.com and download the latest Xbox DX8 application.
11.) Repeat steps 1 to 7 after you did that
12.) New error message, this time has somethign to do with NVD3DHAL.Dll file.
13.) Find out that new Xbox DX8 file requires an additional d/l of Xbox Nvidia driver.
14.) Repeat steps 1 - 7 after d/l the file.
15.) game runs fine now and looks like it should.
16.) Crashes after a few hours, or locks up.

My xbox daily routine prediction :p
 
all this neat hardware isn't going to do you a lot of good when it crashes :D

i must say MS has truely done something amazing, they've managed to make the first unstable console :D
 
Guys, I've been following the XBOX for 2 years and you're not gonna see any more crashes on it then you would see on a PS2 or Gamecube. You know ATi didn't design the Cube's chip set. They just aquired the compsny who did. I think your blind devotion is clouding you better judgment. The XBOX is the better software and hardware set about to be released in November. All the drivers are on each game DVD and when the game developer releases the game it will only work according to what they released on thie FIXED PLATFORM.
I love my AIW Radeon, but the XBOX is going to be the superior system because of its hardware and games this fall.

WMTJ
 
WMTJ said:
Guys, I've been following the XBOX for 2 years and you're not gonna see any more crashes on it then you would see on a PS2 or Gamecube. You know ATi didn't design the Cube's chip set. They just aquired the compsny who did. I think your blind devotion is clouding you better judgment. The XBOX is the better software and hardware set about to be released in November. All the drivers are on each game DVD and when the game developer releases the game it will only work according to what they released on thie FIXED PLATFORM.
I love my AIW Radeon, but the XBOX is going to be the superior system because of its hardware and games this fall.

WMTJ
Click to expand...


Oh, another deathKnight(whatever)

I think everyone here knows that the chip is made by ArtX
Go read this thread: http://www.rage3d.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19144

Mods, why dint u move this in the Consoles board?
 
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There is one thing that has been bothering me about the X-box. Spec wise it looks like a stripped down PC. It could be possible that most games could be easialy re-released for a PC platform. Then again games are much better sitting in a couch then behind your computer. This is going to be intresting. I on one hand don't want to pay $200 - $300 dollars on something just to play games. I will do what I always do wait to see what one becomes the leader and has the best games, then wait for the price to drop.
 
The Xbox IS a stripped down PC. Intel is providing an off-the-shelf celeron for a CPU. The GPU is provided by Nvidia which is basically just a GeForce 3 minus the T&L unit and replaced by a second vertex shader. It also uses PC DDR-RAM, PC hard drive, and PC DVD drive. All this is run by a bare bones Windows OS. Hmmm...doesn't sound like much of a console to me. In fact the console, while still powerful, suffers from the same bottlenecks and bandwidth problems as regular PCs. All this crap for only $299. Gee, for that price I could buy a Gamecube AND and Gameboy Advance..or just Gamecube and 2 games and I'd be getting a console that was brilliantly designed from the ground up to be an awesome console NOT a frikkin PC. All Microsoft has done is pay a bunch of PC-related companies to slap some components together while they work on the controller design (not great) and some legal deals. Nintendo has designed their console from scratch. They've built it based on what designers asked for. There is far more innovation on the part of Nintendo. The specs may not jump off the page and hit you in the face but they're not designed to. Nintendo designed this thing with the emphasis on great games NOT specs. It is a well though out, very efficient unit. It's going to surprise a lot of Xbox lovers just how good the cheaper, "less powerful" Gamecube performs.

As far as people spending money just for games well all I can say is that a console is WAY cheaper than buying a top of the line PC graphics card. How much is a GeForce3? How much is a Gamecube?
 
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dsherman said:
I on one hand don't want to pay $200 - $300 dollars on something just to play games.
Click to expand...

Buying a good 3d accelerator for a PC costs about that much and that's just for games. You can get a decent 2d card for $20 these days.
 
XBox crashes?

XBox crashes?

Whilst I will not be getting the XBox - It should be worth noting that the vast amount of crashes (on PC's) are caused by conflicting drivers/dll's/untested combinations of hardware/ etc. With the XBox there is just one hardware platform - making it easier for developers - and no crashes (in theory) for gamers.
 
Again, I say Microsoft can crash any combonation of hardware/software...the Xbox even crashed during E3 2001. Even if they did manage to fix it up a bit i have no faith in that company. How many other companies could crank out the same old crap year after year and still make billions of dollars?
 
Ok..Im confused??

Ok..Im confused??

At first Microsoft said games were not going to be installed on the hard-drive. They stated it would be much like a "Swap File" paging file on the computer.

Now they state the console will not use paging. So the games have the option to install correct??

So they take this hard-drive and make it FAT32!!! Gaawwdd, why not at least make it a 64bit table.

So here we have a machine running basic computer parts using a run down OS. Someone stated about Dreamcast using windows ce; well I never saw any problems with my dreamcast about crashes, why risk it on a new OS??

I see the Xbox will only use DX8.0 How unfortunate that a machine that powerfull doesnt use OpenGL! OpenGl games are a lot more stable then DX8.0 games. And like stated in another thread opengl does not require "software" upgrades of the OS, just upgrades to the Video driver.

Now, I see a problem if they ever need to upgrade the drivers on the machine. They never stated if the bios could be flashed. So, are the drivers going to store on the hard-drive?? What happens if your hard-drive fails; no more games??

The console can read CDRW's but not CD-R?? How is that possible??

Right now Im not that worried about how good the games look...Im worried weather or not the system is going to be stable?
 
More info XBox (Tech specs)

More info XBox (Tech specs)

Cpu: 733Mhz Intel
Graphics Processor: 250Mhz custom Xchip(Microsoft&nVIDIA)
Total Memory: 64Mb
Memory Bandwidth: 6.4Gb/sec
Polygon Performance: 125M/sec
Sustained Polygon Performance: 100+ M/sec
Micropolygons/particles: 125M/sec
Particle Performance: 125M/sec
Simultaneus Textures: 4
Pixel Fill Rate-No Texture: 4.0G/sec (anti-aliased)
Pixel Fill Rate-1 Texture: 4.0G/sec (anti-aliased)
Video Support: Compressed Textures(6:1),Full Scene
Anti-Alias,Micro Polygon etc.
Storage Medium: 2-5x DVD,8Gb hard disk,8Mb memory card
I/O: 2-5x DVD,8Gb dard disk,8Mb memory card
Audio Channels: 64(max of 256 stereo sounds)
Audio Support: 3D Audio,MIDI DLS2,AC3 encoded game
audio
DVD Movie Playbeck: Remote control package reguired
Maximum Resolution: 1920*1080
Maximum Resolution
(2*32bpp frame buffers+Z): 1920*1080
HDTV Support: Yes
 
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