The rumours have been circulating for over a week now and many have rushed to deny them. As reported in a previous article, a change in the hardware specifications of the XBox was possible. One of the changes mentioned was that of the reduction in capacity of the hard disk from 10 to 8 Gb.
In a "silent" statement to Activewin, Microsoft has confirmed the loss of 2 Gb, but has failed to report the reasons that led to the decision. Such a change is unlikely to effect the overall performance or sales of the console and it is possibly only a cost cutting move by Microsoft.
The confirmation of one of the rumours however, does create the feeling that more of them could prove to be correct. In addition, the secrecy with which Microsoft faces such stories, helps create doubt over the XBox's future. The reported production problems facing the XBox, could also be behind such stories, allowing every "friend" of Microsoft to release their own rumours about the consoles' future.