Switched On: One box to rule them all

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. When Microsoft introduced the original Xbox, the company had a lot to prove. The console newcomer promised that it was laser-focused on building a great system for games. There wasn't much to distract it. In a time of DVDs and dial-up, "convergence" in the space was focused on the ability for consoles to play back movies rented at Blockbuster. But everyone knew that the new kid on the box had an agenda beyond takin...