We got a Dreamcast--yay! You can too, but it'll probably run you $400 or so as an import, and of course, it won't run U.S. software when the system is released over here in late 1999. But it's my job to get the scoop, and a few details have come to light that you potential future users should probably know about.

1. This ain't a normal CD-ROM drive. No, Dreamcast doesn't come loaded with a DVD drive as some folks had hoped for (and as the next Sony system is rumored to include), but it's not a standard CD player, either. Sega's using a "GD-ROM" format--G as in gigabyte, because their format holds 1.2 GB, almost double the capacity of a regular CD. This means more data on a single disc, of course--but it also means that developers will have to pay more to press them, and these suckers will be harder for pirates to copy. And that makes Sega very happy.

2. The modem's removable. This is a good thing. XBAND was fun but limited to one speed. Sega's building Dreamcast with the knowledge that online speed will increase past the 56 kbps level. So, you've got a modem today and the ability to buy a better modem tomorrow—whether that be ADSL, cable, or whatever. Sega will cross that bridge when they come to it.

3. You'll be able to hook it up to a VGA monitor. Tired of fighting over the TV? Get a computer monitor and hook that puppy up. Sharper images, higher resolution, and private, on-demand game time. There's no built-in VGA port on the Japanese unit, so expect this to be yet another custom cable you'll have to buy.

4. There's no reset button on the console itself. Weird, huh?

5. The controller's cord is on backwards. Yep, it's funky, but the cord comes out of the bottom of the controller, not the top of the unit, as it is with all other controllers ever made. Instead, not one but two VMS memory units can fit in slots at the top of the unit.

6. Sega's name is quite definitely on the machine At least in Japan, Sega decided to put their company logo on the Dreamcast. There was and still is talk of the Dreamcast being marketed without the Sega logo on it, due to bad Saturn blood. That might still happen in the U.S. But in Japan, where plenty more Saturns were sold, Sega is proud of its history and its new baby.