The "Xbox 2" will use PowerPC based architecture similar to the chipset powering Apple\'s G5 computers. That being the case, Microsoft\'s early "Xbox 2" development kits have been little more than modified Apple G5 systems pre-packed with "Xbox 2" emulation software. "I heard [Apple CEO] Steve Jobs found it pretty ironic and funny that Microsoft has been shipping Apple systems to developers," one studio source joked to IGN on the subject.
Multiple software houses involved with "Xbox 2" development stand by rumors the console will not feature a hard drive, which would suggest that it might also not be backward compatible with current Xbox software. "Microsoft needs to make money with this system and so it\'s going a pretty conservative route," an insider explained, adding, "but that doesn\'t mean the system is not powerful because it is."
