bishopcruz
Member
Well, at least its good to know that if I eventually buy an Xbone I can deduct it from my taxes as a business expense. I'll probably never use it for that, ever, but screw the IRS. Still, what was MS thinking?
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Microsoft pitches Xbox One to small businesses
- Thread starter ekim
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Unreal Champ
Banned
Who said I'm playing the victim? I'm just pointing out the facts, no need to get upset about it.
miDnIghtEr20C
Banned
I was wondering the same thing. What's the big deal about this?
And now you're playing the victim of a purported aggression from Interfectum ...
DigitalDevilSummoner
zero cognitive reasoning abilities
Can't you use Skype without Live subscription ?
Deadly Cyclone
Pride of Iowa State
They would, for more integrated solutions I imagine. The One would work well for someone who wanted a base video conferencing set up (dedicated to one room, non-traveling) in a few offices around the state or country perhaps. The system will run better than a $400 laptop with a $100 webcam along with providing access to whatever business-oriented applications Microsoft may add to the store.
It's not the best overall solution, but it's not nearly as "laughable" as a handful of folks here want to make it out to be.
Well, how is it taking away from gaming?
AppleSmack
Banned
This is actually a cool idea IMO. Microsoft is a much better enreprise company than they are a general public company. My only problem with this is the $60 per year price. But then again any business that would use kinect for their live meetings clearly has money to blow because there are far cheaper alternatives.
It's also very restrictive since it only integrates with Microsoft products. Not sure why any business would want to buy into such a closed box.
yea they are pricy, but a lot of them are coming with phone systems, like... Microsoft Lync.
Deadly Cyclone
Pride of Iowa State
Indeed, but if you're only needing video it would work fine. Yeah you could buy a $400 laptop and webcam, but you'd likely not be making a laptop and webcam a dedicated unit in your conference room.
On the project for where I work currently we looked at buying a desktop PC with a higher end webcam to keep in conference rooms as a solution to buying a $15,000 Cisco or Polycom unit (and that's for the small Cisco and Polycom units). The Xbox One solution, while restrictive based upon what apps come out, would be essentially the same idea we had, yet a bit less expensive.
Uh, video chat is on the 360 now. I don't see it really being that big of deal and taking away from gaming.
What's the problem with video conferencing with a entertainment system if your a small business?
Pretty sure it will be the best value for the money, as you would need to buy a dedicated PC for the conference room for the free skype, then a webcam that I doubt will be better than the kinect 2 with its 1080p camera and great background sound cancellation, then you will need to fart around with a keyboard and mouse, instead of the simple voice command that looks much more professional when in a room of clients.
Delusibeta
Banned
Increases OS bloat which means less resources for the games.
I was just about to post how people shouldn't be making a big deal out of this, but then I read that. They would mostly have to have an Xbox Live account to even use this feature, not just multiplayer. So, the thought of them having to get a Xbox Live gold account for conferencing is the ridiculous part.
But to continue with my first sentiment, Microsoft is just leveraging the platform's features that are already in existence. It's not like they are building any part of the One to cater to buisnesses. The kinects wide angle 1080p camera is pretty compelling from a conference standpoint.
You can easily build a small dedicated business conference box for under $300 that will run any application you choose. The Xbone is still an expensive option at $500.
Dorimukyasuto
Member
This is gonna end up being like the iPad. You will turn on the news and the anchor will say "and were here live via Xbox One with Tim Covington"
How is it not?
Every minute and dollar spent trying to make this an office machine could be spent making it a better gaming machine.
LukasTaves
Member
I fail to see how that shows lack of focus or takes away from gaming, or reeks of desperation XD
Having kinect and kinect enabled business apps can be really big for them... This can obviously used for conferencing, classrooms, presentations, etc
I would bet lync will be there too. As will plenty of other business apps. The thing runs winRT
Having kinect and kinect enabled business apps can be really big for them... This can obviously used for conferencing, classrooms, presentations, etc
I would bet lync will be there too. As will plenty of other business apps. The thing runs winRT
dskillzhtown
keep your strippers out of my American football
It isn't really a terrible idea, actually. For big businesses, yes it would make little sense because most of them go after a all-encompassing Cisco solution for their video needs. But for smaller businesses, who want to look like they are just as capable and sophisticated as larger ones, having the Skype capabilities and able to call up videos from Skydrive during the call would be a nice thing to have. It makes a difference when you do a video call with one company and it is in HD with great sound, can see the entire team and then the next company comes in with a laptop notebook where people are taking turns in front of a crappy camera.
I haven't seen any of this stuff in action so can't make a call either way, but on paper it isn't the worst idea ever. A solution somewhere in the middle of the expensive conference set ups and the laptop+webcam solution.
I haven't seen any of this stuff in action so can't make a call either way, but on paper it isn't the worst idea ever. A solution somewhere in the middle of the expensive conference set ups and the laptop+webcam solution.
I didn't know the Department of Defense was a small business
dskillzhtown
keep your strippers out of my American football
How did you come to that idea? Kind of a simplistic way of looking at this. If anything, the business guys played with a Xbox One and tried to see how they could use it for their needs. It isn't an office machine. They are just trying to figure out how to use it in different ways. Kinect was used in hospitals, does that make it a medical device now?
Is the software lacking in gaming features compared to the competition? You're betting on the assumption that resources are being taken away from the gaming aspect of the console which isn't necessarily the case.
thelurkinghorror
Member
Nope, you can't even use the youtube app without a gold membership
PhoenixDark
Banned
It's an interesting idea considering businesses could write it off as a business expenditure. I know of many health and ortho practices that have gaming systems in the lobby for instance. And given how much useless electronics businesses purchase for staff use, I wouldn't be surprised if this catches on to some degree.
Obviously it also could be used in board rooms.
Obviously it also could be used in board rooms.
AyaisMUsikWhore
Member
Doesn't surprise me one bit. I called this way before this Gen even was a concept. I knew from the get since MS debuted W8, the new Xbox will be the push to get it adopted by all. I knew it eventually was going to come down to Microsoft making a mini computer. Watch, soon, you all be able to do PowerPoint, your essays and all your stuff off the Xbox. MS never had any intentions to making the xbox the ultimate gaming console but the ultimate windows machine... Let's see how it works out in the end
They've tainted their reputation and their relationship with their main consumer base, and they make up for it by expanding it to others that won't really care about the thing anyway. Small business owners are not going to bother with an expensive gaming console when a cheap laptop would do just fine. They're supposed to shift back focus to gaming, and not drift away from it even more. It's frankly a bizarre direction.
Don't worry, the day they actually bring forward good news and incentives that makes their product appeal to gamers such as myself, I'll change my mind about them.
Most small businesses don't have dedicated voice conference rooms, its called take your laptop and find an empty conference room and hit "skype" on your start menu.
Most small businesses don't spend on big time telepresence, but it is awesome to have, my last company (big bank)had it and it saved me A LOT of flights.
Overall this is a clever but sure to fail idea.
nightstorm
Member
Maybe they add more function in the future,in the dashboard updates as was on older xbox.
I NEED SCISSORS
Banned
"It can do Skype" is seemingly the new "it's a super computer".
Seem like a very inexpensive competitor to Cisco TelePresence/Polycom. I am not sure why this is a problem at all.
AppleSmack
Banned
Why is everyone assuming that the kinect will be a poorly functional device?
If all they care is video conferencing, here's something for $200:
http://shop.skype.com/skype-for-tv/tv-compatible-webcams/logitech-tv-cam-hd/
http://shop.skype.com/skype-for-tv/tv-compatible-webcams/logitech-tv-cam-hd/
famousmortimer
Banned
It's a good idea in terms of practicality and cost. I think it has the potential to move a decent number of units.
Where it's a liability is with gamers. Many people have already felt like the xbox brand was a Trojan Horse for Microsoft to get into hardware. Couple tvtvtvtvtv with 'But Have YOU SEEN POWERPOINT!?!' and it starts to feel like Microsoft are breaking up with us. Whether that's true or not is irrelevant... it's whether people feel it's true. And I think this thread and the mockery therein is a sign that people feel that way. I know I've felt that way basically since the kinect was released. Microsoft's values and my values don't seem to be lining up anymore... which in itself is fine, I have plenty of other options and they won't miss one customer. But if the pool of people feeling like I do grows
... that's bad news for MS.
The good news for them is current Sony. Sony of 6 years ago was so maddeningly awful and sony right now is hitting all the right notes. Microsoft can and likely will do the same, eventually.
Where it's a liability is with gamers. Many people have already felt like the xbox brand was a Trojan Horse for Microsoft to get into hardware. Couple tvtvtvtvtv with 'But Have YOU SEEN POWERPOINT!?!' and it starts to feel like Microsoft are breaking up with us. Whether that's true or not is irrelevant... it's whether people feel it's true. And I think this thread and the mockery therein is a sign that people feel that way. I know I've felt that way basically since the kinect was released. Microsoft's values and my values don't seem to be lining up anymore... which in itself is fine, I have plenty of other options and they won't miss one customer. But if the pool of people feeling like I do grows
... that's bad news for MS.
The good news for them is current Sony. Sony of 6 years ago was so maddeningly awful and sony right now is hitting all the right notes. Microsoft can and likely will do the same, eventually.
It's hardly a bizarre direction, Microsoft has been known for trying to be the all in one entertainment system, and they have and they are just showing what it can do.
You just seem to want to bash on a feature of something you dont like. All because they had DRM that they ended up taking away.
The X1 is going to be an amazing piece of technology, yet people like you who wont buy one but will still feel the need to bash it even though you are not slightly interested. It's like going into a Chinese take away and complaining they have noodles on the menu and not even liking Chinese food.
Can't wait for the audit!
Make one business related Skype call and you're fine.
Unreal Champ
Banned
Errrr not really.
3rdamention
Member
Exactly what I was thinking. What about Skype? What about Google Hangouts? Both are free, software based video chat clients that cost NOTHING. I would assume most/all small businesses have a computer. So all you need is a webcam.
If I were a small business, I would think spending $500 on a gaming console (that includes a camera, I know) just to Video Conference, Network, and/or browse the Internet as they are saying, would not be a fiscally responsible decision, no matter how Microsoft spins it. There are much cheaper alternatives (FREE) that use your existing hardware and webcam.
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