Prediction: Xbox 360 SKU update March/April. (Wireless, HDD size)

[kn]

sinha said:

kn said:

A "slimmer" redesign with a slot load, built-in wifi, larger hard drive, and perhaps multiple colored boxes would be, in my opinion, the smartest move MS could make. That would carry them into the next gen with not much else to cost reduce except for die size on the cpu/gpu.

 

Smartest move, as in losing MS lots of money when they are finally making a decent profit on the Xbox?

Wifi = $30 or so

slot load = $30-40 or so

A larger hard drive and a slimmer redesign, more money.

Uh, NO.  Wifi adapter, including the cost of making it, packaging into a stand-alone product, packaging into a retail box, and added distributor/retailer cost:

http://www.meritline.com/linksys-wpc54gx4-wireless-g-notebook-adapter-with-srx-400.html

That's $12.  I'm willing to bet cash money that the wifi chipset, antenna, etc. would be $5 in bulk.  There are no external packages, retail, mark-up, etc.

Slot load Panasonic 24X DVD ROM /DVD-R drive for $29.95: http://www.ultradrives.com/product_info.php/cPath/21_36/products_id/1050   Again, retail with a markup and Microsoft would get cheaper.  This is also a writer... ROM only is most certainly cheaper.  You have to figure this is incremental over the cost of the tray model.  I'd bet it wouldn't be more than a $10 add over the cost of the tray model.

Hard drives get larger over time for the same price.  Late this year, 200 gigs will be what 120 is now (or even less).  Again, it is incremental cost, at most, over what is there.

 

You make it sound like these features would add $100 to the manufacturing cost of the 360.  It wouldn't even touch $20.