Published by ZDNet Australia, August 11 2003

Microsoft has used its Tech Ed conference for its first Australian public showing of its Xbox Live Internet gaming service, but the launch hasn't been without its glitches.

The Xbox Live stand at the Brisbane conference, which has attracted 1,600 geeks and IT managers, has been one of the most popular attractions. "The queues form every time there's a session break," a stand manager told ZDNet Australia.

However, software problems meant that the demonstration was nearly dead before it started. The Xboxes being used for the demonstration didn't have a current version of the dashboard software used for the service, and the leased line being used for connecting wouldn't permit the software to be updated. Microsoft was eventually forced to source some new Xboxes from a friendly Queensland Harvey Norman store to get the service up and running before the conference began Monday morning.

With ease of configuration being a key selling point for the online gaming service, such an incident might have caused a few palpitations in Microsoft Australia's corporate HQ.

Staff assured ZDNet Australia that such a problem wouldn't have occurred on the standard Telstra broadband connections which will be offered as part of the consumer package. Xbox Live is already active in most other areas of the world, and Microsoft has said the Australian service will be active before the end of the year. Sources have indicated that a full local launch is planned for October.

Angus Kidman travelled to Tech Ed as a guest of Microsoft.