Ironically HDD should have been more affordable for 360, and I do think hacking, etc might well have had something to do with not having one as well.
I think MS also likes the idea of add on sales rather than having to include the cost in the console itself.
I guess MS also thought that the 360 approach would give them more reach - i.e. you add on to the core unit until it supports your needs, so if you're into digital downloads stick a larger HDD on top.
What really puzzles me with 360 is the console specific HDD - surely a strange move vs PS3 with standard HDD drive? Or maybe that was to ensure easy to control prices - i.e. charge more?
Moore's certainly opened up, although I don't agree with everything he says by a long shot but its certainly a nice confirmation of what's been going on behind the scenes.
One rather strange upshot is he's actually made me feel a little anti-MS where before I was totally neutral. It's not logical, but I really don't want to hand MS over the keys to my living room to be blunt, particularly given how keen they are to get in there... I don't know why but I'd much rather Nintendo, Apple or even Sony have the major stake (jointly probably) in home entertainment than MS... must be some 'evil empire' conditioning I didn't even know I'd had.
Try to be reasonable... its easier than you think...
