PS2 Box 1

[Bradley Miller]

Saw this and thought I'd pass it along:

                 ExtremeTech CTO
              CORE TECHNOLOGY ONLINE

               Wednesday, July 25th

               www.extremetech.com

* Sony May Market Linux Kit for the PlayStation2 in US: 
A Linux kit available for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) from Sony 
currently available in Japan may hit American shores in the 
coming months. A survey on Sony's site to gauge US interest 
also lists the kit's components, which include: 

  DVD-ROM containing Beta Release 1 of Linux for PS2 
  40GB Hard Disc Drive 
  10 BASE-T/100 BASE-TX Ethernet Interface 
  USB Keyboard 
  USB Mouse 
  PlayStation 2 VGA AV Connector (HD 15 plus Stereo Audio) - requires 
  "sync on green" monitor 

This seems to be aimed primarily at hobbyists and Linux twiddlers 
looking for a lean/mean box on which to run the open-source OS. 
Given its stringent licensing requirements, and that essentially 
all revenue comes from game sales (Sony loses money on every PS2 
box it sells), it's unlikely that Sony would be looking for Linux-
based games for PS2. Instead, Sony may be trying to create another 
incentive to buy a PS2 (a cheap, fast Linux box), and the upside for 
Sony would presumably be additional sales of PS2 games for when the 
box wasn't running Linux. How long will it take some Linux maven to 
boot that OS on Microsoft's upcoming Xbox? slated to ship in October. 
And, if being able to run a Linux distro on these consoles boosts 
hardware and game sales, could it be that console makers have a new-
found friend in Linux? -- Dave Salvator