Consumers Face Quandary as Microsoft, Sony Square Off.

DOING the right thing isn't always easy. Consider the choices that face me and my fellow cash-strapped video game fans as Microsoft plans its much-anticipated Nov. 15 rollout of the Xbox game console.

While it might not make sense to rush out and buy one, I'm not sure we have any real choice in the matter. It would be prudent to wait and see whether Microsoft can truly compete with Sony and Nintendo before parting with $300 to purchase one of the company's fancy black and green boxes.

There's nothing worse than getting stuck with an unpopular game console -- just ask a Sega Dreamcast buyer. Disappointing Xbox sales would dissuade developers from, designing games for the machine, leaving owners feeling like a kid who bought a single walkie-talkie. But it has become clear in recent weeks that exercising caution before a significant purchase is not only unacceptably timid -- it's un-American.

Dozens of commercials insist it's our patriotic duty to spend money as quickly as possible. Besides, my young daughter hasn't yet been exposed to the sort of fast-paced, consequence-free violence she'll need to fit in with her peers -- at least, not at the resolutions and pixel rates possible with the Xbox or Sony's PlayStation2.

What good is perfect vision or a serviceable attention span if she's the only kid in school who'll have one? I already own a Nintendo 64, which I chose over the original Playstation because it was newer and more powerful. Unfortunately, it dropped those adjectives like a bad habit once the PS2 came out, and now that cute little Nintendo box seems about as cutting edge as Cole-covision.

The best case for Xbox is made by the box itself, which can crunch data much faster than the PS2. Its 733-MHZ processor can run laps around Sony's 300-MHZ chip, and it's accompanied by a superior graphics board. It also has nearly twice, as much memory and a 10 gigabyte hard drive -- a first for a game console. The hard drive will store game data and make it possible to download updates, such as a new roster of players for a sports title.

Both the Xbox and PS2 can play DVDs, although Microsoft forces you to purchase some sort of remote control upgrade before you can watch movies. But the Xbox comes ready for broadband Internet access out of the box, a boon for people like me who enjoy putting their inferior hand-eye coordination to the test against mutant gamer teens from around the world.

Although Microsoft has a hardware advantage, the PS2 holds a significant lead out of the box -- that is, with the games themselves. Microsoft plans to have more than 15 titles available at launch, but it can't hope to match the catalogue of dozens of games already built for Sony's year-old machine.

Designers have been working with Sony for years, and only time will tell if the Xbox can attract a similarly compelling list of titles. Nintendo is releasing a new console, too -- the Gamecube, due out a few days after the Xbox. The processor and graphics should be comparable to the Xbox, but I expect most of the games will continue targeting children rather than older teens or adults. Nothing wrong with that -- after all, kids are the ones who actually have the kind of time necessary to master video games.

Ultimately, the decision about whether to purchase an Xbox comes down to a leap of faith. Will Microsoft remain committed enough to attract buyers and game developers in the cutthroat console market? Or will Sony's superior games and market muscle allow it to fight off Bill Gates' bid for a brand new monopoly?

It's too early to tell, but it's already time to choose. If I don't buy at least one game console this Christmas, I'm afraid the terrorists will win. At least, that's what I'm telling my wife.

To contact syndicated columnist Joe Salkowski, you can e-mail him at [e-mail] or write to him c/o Tribune Media Services, Inc., 435 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1400, Chicago, IL 60611.