What is so special about the Xbox?
The Microsoft Xbox was the first Video Game Console that the user could gain complete control of the operating system. This is due to the fact that the Xbox is built upon a mostly PC-style architecture. What does this mean, you may ask? Well, for one, you can replace the operating system with one of your choice, or flash the BIOS. This allows you to do many things such as install your own software, or circumvent copyright protections. You can Install a new hard drive, or a RAM upgrade. You can even install a different DVD drive, because the Xbox uses a standard IDE drive for both the hard drive and the DVD drive. Best of all, the controller ports are standard USB ports that can be modified to accept keyboards, mice, etcetera. So basically, the Xbox is not a Video Game Machine, it is a personal computer.
What kind of software can be installed?
One of the first pieces of software that comes to mind is, of course the Linux kernel. There is a windows emulator, but in my opinion it doesn't work very well. There is a utility available that allows you to bypass Microsoft's requirement to buy the thirty dollar DVD remote if you want to watch movies. You just use your controller instead. File Managers, MP3 players, MPEG players, Photo Albums...I already mentioned FTP clients and Web browsers. They even make shareware Xbox Games (These are called Homebrew.) There is an entire community of Programmers that release Xbox-specific Shareware. You can find just about any kind of useful program out there. Also, the favorite of many is the Console emulator. N64, Sega, Playstation 1 and Arcade-Game emulators are just a few. A library of thousands of these games can be installed and executed from the Xbox hard drive.
Is this Legal?
You own the Xbox, so legally you can do anything you want to it. Of course, just like opening the case, installing third party software will void your warranty, so consider that before you proceed. Some of the software made for Xbox has been compiled using MicrosoftSDK, a source code compiler which belongs to Microsoft. That makes these programs illegal, even if they are shareware, so you may want to pay attention to that. OpenSDK is also compatible, and that is legal. Also, although most of the Console emulators are are legal, in some cases the BIOS files needed to operate them are Copyrighted. Most definitely the video game files (called ROMS in this case) are copyrighted. So for instance, legally speaking, to play Super Mario Brothers on your Xbox, you must own a Nintendo and the Super Mario cartridge. (Even if they are broken.) The penalties for violating these laws (and the enforcement procedures) are the same as downloading MP3 songs that you don't own. Just as in the case of Napster, the authorities go after those individuals that are distributing them, so don't sell them or even give them away (Assuming theoretically that you downloaded them).
Where can I find out more about this?
Below I have compiled a list of links that I found useful. These are just a few. Enjoy!
Tutorials and support Forums:
http://www.copying-xbox-games.com
Emulators and programs:
http://xbins.org *(For access to these programs, see below)
http://www.zophar.net/consoles/xbox.html
Soon I will be adding support links for various xbox-platform software
* To access xbins, I suggest Mirc, there is a free trial version available, and flashFXP, Also a free trial there.
Logon to a random Efnet server in Mirc, enter the xbins channel, and follow the instructions there (Type /msg xbins !list). You will see a red flashing PM box on the top of the Mirc chat window. Click on that. After receiving a username, password, and FTP domain name, close Mirc and open flashFXP. Enter the information you got in #xbins, and connect. Enjoy!
