I sort of believe the "Xbox 8" naming rumours, if this is true.
8 cores
8 gigs RAM
8800 GPU
Talks to Windows 8
Etc
Falls in line with the old speculation about the name being Xbox Infinite and/or Loop. It's not a loop or a symbol. It's a fucking 8. *mindblown.png*
Also: $800. Wouldn't want to get inconsistent with the last number!
In all seriousness, depending on the speed, I could see this thing going for $499-599 and MS still taking a loss on it. Both the 8850 and 8870 are in the $200-300 range retail, and neither of them are even out yet. I'm totally down for bleeding edge technology, and it clearly worked for MS before with the Xbox 360.
As it stands, these specs will put it in the same ballpark as high end PCs of today, which is where next gen consoles are believed to hover, power-wise.
Love it or hate it, the 360 is a great entertainment hub; ads aside. There is a ton of content, and new stuff is being added pretty frequently. I certainly don't like having to pay to access features that I can plug into for free on a PC, such as Hulu or YouTube. I think MS would have an easier time justifying a higher priced console if they could alleviate some of the psychological strain from having to pay a ridiculous monthly fee to access free content that you can get virtually anywhere else. XBL Gold should be more in line with PS+. It's fucking 2013. I shouldn't have to pay 8 dollars a month to play games online with my friends.
The tremendous downside to the 360 being used as a media hub, is that MS keeps shoehorning in new features and content into a console that is now going on 8 yea..(I SEE WHAT U DID THAR MS. YOU MADE ME SAY 8 AGAIN. SUBLIMINAL.) ...going on 8 years old, and its definitely showing. Virtually any action you take on the console's interface there is a pause, and Netflix/Hulu are a nightmare to navigate. Not as bad as Wii U, but for entirely different reasons.
That being said, an abundance of ram, a preposterously powerful new video card, and strong processor will ensure that MS integrates the next generation Xbox firmly into the living room with fluid, seamless design and execution.
Now give us our token next gen Gears and Halo games, and then let them die with some dignity, because when this console gets its feet wet, I want to see some new IPs with new ideas.