New Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter in the Works? D71b867172053xbox

Wouldn't it be nice if Microsoft admitted it was gouging consumers by charging $100 for an otherwise unremarkable wireless 802.11g USB adapter? What'd be even nicer: Besides an integrated version in its freshly price-adjusted $300 Xbox 360 Elite, how about a wireless 802.11n USB adapter for $40 or less?

Engadget thinks it has pictures of the 802.11n part--a little black rabbity looking rectangle with an incriminating label that identifies it as the 'n' iteration of the 802.11 spec. That means it'd run at up to 160Mbps, another meaningless maximum you'd never achieve due (among other things) to the chug-a-lugging hard drive's chokehold. Still, 802.11n could see you future-proofed for the inevitable Xbox 360 500GB solid-state drive. I won't guess what that'll cost you in Xbox 360 peripheral dollars.

How overpriced is the current 802.11g part? Put it this way. I just bought a Hawking Hi-Gain Wireless-N Network USB Adapter for my MacBook Pro--a part that's boosted my ability to hone in on signals by at least 100 feet--for $60. You can get most USB 802.11n parts, with or without an external antenna, for somewhere in the $13 to $30 range.

More: http://pcworld.com/article/172053/