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Device profile: ApeXtreme "personal gaming console"
2004-01-15 Article Rating:  / 0
Consumer electronics manufacturer Apex Digital Inc. launched its ApeXtreme "personal gaming console," a device that is intended to bridge the gap between high performance PC-based gaming and traditional dedicated game consoles, at the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
The new game console runs Microsoft's Windows XP Embedded operating system and is based on VIA Technologies' "Glory Personal Gaming Console Platform," a CPU, core logic, and graphics chip reference platform aimed at the consumer gaming market.  The ApeXtreme is, first and foremost, a gaming console that can play PC games through any TV screen. But that's not all; you can also use it to: play on-line games, using its built-in Ethernet port for high-speed Internet connection or an optional wireless adapter; store games, videos, photos, and music; play music and watch movies. The device is powered by a 1.4GHz VIA C3 processor along with 256MB SDRAM memory. It supports Hi-Def DX9 graphics and VIA Vinyl 6-channel surround sound multimedia standards, and can play DVDs, VCDs, audio CDs, MP3s, Internet radio, and slide shows. The ApeXtreme is positioned as filling a gap between traditional, dedicated gaming consoles and gaming as it exists on high-performance PCs. The device is said to support over 2,500 games that are compatible with the PC platform, but run them automatically in an appliance-like manner. The following chart from Apex Digital compares the performance and specs of the ApeXtreme with those of the dedicated game consoles from Nintendo (GameCube), Sony (PlayStation), and Microsoft (XBox): The ApeXtreme's front panel has a DVD drive slot for CDs or DVDs, and standard DVD playback control buttons. Four front-mounted USB 2.0 ports can be used to connect multiple PC game control pads or keyboard and mouse combinations. The rear panel includes 6-channel surround sound connectors, two more USB 2.0 ports connectivity such as a wireless network, Ethernet LAN, or modem, and connectors for use with various types of TVs. Photos showing the controls and connections are here: Figure 3: ApeXtreme rear view Apex Digital says its new ApeXtreme PC Gaming Console will be offered in two versions, priced at $299 and $399 respectively. Under the hood The ApeXtreme is based on VIA's Glory Personal Gaming Console Platform. The Glory Platform comprises VIA's 1.4GHz C3 processor, VIA's CN400 digital media chipset, S3's DeltaChrome Hi-Def DX9 graphics processor, VIA's Vinyl 6-channel surround sound audio, VIA's VT8237 South Bridge, and various VIA companion chips for USB 2.0 and Ethernet connectivity. The device's 3D gaming experience is powered by an S3 Graphics DeltaChrome graphics accelerator that includes native Hi-Def HDTV support. The graphics engine delivers up to 2.4 Giga-pixels per second fill rate, and implements the DirectX 9.0 and Pixel/Vertex shader 2.0+ video standards in hardware. Additionally, VIA's Vinyl Six-TRAC Audio provides enhanced sound positioning technology, including support for theatre-like six-channel surround sound. The Windows XP Embedded operating system automatically detects and plays DVD and VCD movies, audio CDs, and slide shows or pictures from a CD through Windows Media Player -- from the home network, an optical drive, or the device's built-in 20GB hard drive. The features fast, game-console-like bootup making it ready to play within of seconds of switching it on. It can be controlled with a game pad or with a keyboard and mouse. Related stories:
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