So, for the next two months I have an Xbox on loan from a friend. Provided I don't damage it, I can keep it free of charge until June, otherwise I owe him $50.
I seriously can't believe I'm saying this, but Sony actually has a better design than their competitors for once. The Xbox takes up more floor space than a laptop and stands as high as a Gamecube in the process. The PS2, meanwhile, packs even more components (or in this case, space for components, as the PS2 doesn't ship with a hard drive but includes an internal drive bay for one) into a thin, sleek-looking package - and I'm even talking about the early PS2s, not the newer slimline models.
Perhaps you're wondering why I'm ranting right now instead of playing Halo 2. I'm missing half the controller. Seriously: Xbox controllers have detach points on the cable, which supposedly prevents the console from dragging if you pull the controller too far, and I managed to lose the connector that actually interfaces the controller to the Xbox. Of course, I doubt this thing's going to be dragging by a controller - it's almost as heavy as a desktop PC. In any case, I can't yet give any comprehensive review of the unit above its physical features and its ridiculous bootup sequence, which is reminiscent from a scene from The Blob.
Add the Xbox to one of many Microsoft products that has made me ask, "What the hell were they thinking?" I suppose everything needs a rough draft - the Xbox 360 sports a vastly improved design that addresses a number of these flaws.