Microsoft Xbox 360 Premium System

One of the best console launches and suprisingly well thought out console

Posted Apr 13, 2007 - Let me start off by saying I don't believe anyone should get the core system. The core system was introduced in order to funnel off some heat for the $100 price increase for the console in the current generation. By releasing the core system users who bought the real system could feel a sense of value and feel the console's price point was really $299. While I think this tactic is far less shady than the bundling of useless accessories with the PSP, it is nevertheless obviously the real Xbox 360. All the accessories that come with the regular version just spell out next gen (Wireless controllers and HDTV Component Cables). When you hear them talk about the core accommodating to "niche users" they must be talking about people who like to get ripped off or people who couldn't get a regular system at launch and are desperate for a 360. On first receiving the system you will notice it is quite heavy for the size. For the graphical quality the console has potential for, it's not suprise that the components would be heavy. For the first time in 3D gaming this console has produced some graphics that are on Par with current Gen PC Gaming. I find this to be quite impressive for $400 which is quite a comparable price. And with many popular PC titles being ported on the 360 (Call of Duty 2 and Oblivion for example), it's not a bad alternative for people sick of upgrading their PCs every year, though personally I would not give up my Keyboard and mouse for FPS' like Quake 4. The console runs relatively hot so the fans are quite loud for a console according to many people. I personally have it running in the same room as my PC so my PC's fans are definitely louder and drown out any of the sound. One of the major feats with this console is that all the games will support 720p. For any HDTV owners this is a godsend. In the previous generation there were only a handful of titles that ever got the 720p treatment. Personally having a 1080p HDTV, this made me quite disappointed. But with the 360 I no longer have to worry about that. I think going with 720p was a good move since 1080p sets are rare. The visual quality jump from 480p to 720p is amazing. The main thing that struck me instantly while using this console initially is that they really designed this console for useability and Xbox Live. The intergration of every game into xbox live is quite interesting. Sometimes while waiting for a game to start in the multiplayer lobby I'll check out people's games list and achievements (which the console automatically tracks if you're online). Also I can pull up the dash blade any time I want. This allows for me to insert my own personal soundtrack whenever I want to any game. For example in PGR3 I can just plug in my Ipod and load up my songs and race with my own playlist from my Ipod. Also an alternative is connecting the 360 to your home network and loading up the songs for a shared folder on your PC. Either way it all works flawlessly except for the fact that they left out any sort of alphabetical sorting tabs. Therefore browsing through a long list of playlists/albums/artists can be quite annoying. Also you can stream pictures off your computer for instant access for photo viewing on your home TV from your computer. The console delivers on all the promises of being an entertainment hub for your home network. Unfortunately for me this aspect is not as important since my PC and my 360 are connected to the same HDTV LCD Monitor. However for people with their PC in the computer room and the HDTV in the living room, it provides a very affordable alternative to having another HTPC in the living room. With MCE you can stream HDTV Video directly off your PC to the living room which is very convenient. As for the launch lineup, I have found it to be one of the most solid in history. So far I own 3 games (Kameo, Project Gotham 3, and Perfect Dark Zero) and all are superb. I could go into detail about each of them but needless to say they all look fantastic and deserve well above a 8.5 Score out of 10. Also with NBA 2K5 sports fans have a game that looks fantastic. some of the visuals in that game will blow you away. The current estimate is that Microsoft is losing more than $100 off each console sold, and all the features and graphical capabilities you receive from the console is a clear indication of why. There have been some complaints about defective units, but that is not all uncommon with launches. In fact mine has been running quite well with no real crashes, though I have encountered one bug in PGR3. I know it is a popular trend to go against Microsoft, but it's very hard to deny that they have created a well thought out console sooner than anyone could have anticipated. With a good lead of at least 6 months before the other next-gen consoles there is no reason not to be somewhat impressed with the 360. I would strongly recommend this product to open minded gamers, especially if they have an HDTV.

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So close to perfect...

Posted May 17, 2007 - So close to perfect... I've had the Xbox 360 for about 10 months now. Last month it gave up on me & I had to get it replaced, for which I had to incurr a one way shipping cost but the replacement process was a breeze & the replacement Xbox 360 was with me in no time. I had the original Xbox for a very long time, now passed it on to my brother who doesn't require *next-gen* gaming for his day to day life, however I do recommend it for everyone else. The Xbox 360 takes entertainment to another level by giving you wireless controllers, a better interface to interact with (the Xbox 360 dashboard), jaw dropping graphics & a whole lot more..I'm not going to bore you with the technical specifications of the console, I will point out the few things you might be wanting to get a feedback about. What makes the Xbox 360 awesome (Pros)? The graphics are way too good to be described by any sort of words. Yes, if you want to take advantage of the true HD experience you will need a decent HDTV which keep getting cheaper by the day. The graphics do vary from TV to TV but in general with a HDTV you will not be disappointed at all. The HDD allows you to save a lot of content including downloaded content, music you rip from cds etc. The main reason of the hard drive existing is to allow you to save your game files & with a 20GB HDD (only 12GB is available to the user) you can store an unlimited amount of saved games, mind it, you do need the HDD to play original Xbox games. The wireless controller creates freedom beyond what can be imagined. Using 2.4GHz technology the responsiveness of the Xbox 360s controller is nothing but instant giving you the perfect lag-free gaming experience. The Xbox Live Network System is optional but I strongly recommend it for anyone who has got a broadband connection. It will complete the entertainment experience you are looking for. Online content availability is increasing rapidly. You can download game content, game demos, gametrailers in HD, movie trailers in HD, music videos...the list is endless. The availability of games will get you confused on what to choose & keep you busy with the Xbox 360 all the time. The number of games available keeps increasing & currently the Xbox 360 has almost 5 times the number of games available on its competition - the PlayStation 3. The Xbox 360 can be linked up with your computer to stream music, videos & pictures. The setup for this barely takes a minture. All games allow the option of using custom soundtracks, this is where streaming music can be very useful. If you feel the need of watching your movies in HD (HD movies are different from normal DVDs) then you can buy the external HD-DVD Player add-on for the Xbox 360 ($200). What's not-good about the Xbox 360 (Cons)? The Xbox 360 is not by itself, you have this *brick* power supply which is bulky & annoying as the mobility of the console is lost with this. The component cables can make it a little untidy & can cause a little bit of a clutter. There is no HDMI output for the premium system (the Elite has this). The machine can be noisy at times & produces a lot of heat, you have to make sure it is in a well ventilated area, the power supply should be in a well ventilated area as well. Comparison with the PlayStation 3..... Which is more powerful in terms of specifications? On paper, the PS3 but which is being Which is being used to its utmost potential currently & delivering what it promised? The Xbox 360 for the main reason that the developers have found too many bugs in the PS3s developing software & are finding it hard to understand & learn the PS3s developing software. What's the exclusive content on both (from the top of my head)? Xbox 360: Gears of War/Halo/Project Gotham Racing/Forza Motorsport/GTA IV/Perfect Dark Zero PS3: Resistance Fall of Man/Gran Turismo/Formula One/Metal Gear Solid/Motorstorm What's the number in game titles currently in the market? The PS3 is told to have less than 40 games currently available in the market where as the Xbox 360 has 150+ titles available. Which one has the better online network? The Xbox 360 with its Xbox Live Online Multiplayer Network is by far better than what Sony came up with, you might be paying $50/year for it but it is well worth it. The latest dashboard update allows you to IM with your friends as well. Which is better? Nothing can be taken away from either of them, they are both very powerful machines. However, for a person looking for a *pure entertainment* system I would recoemmend the Xbox 360 because it has a lot more titles available & will never be far behind the PS3 in terms of graphics or performance (currently it is ahead), allows you to easily connect to your computer to stream music, pictures & videos, the Xbox Live Network allows you to download a lot of content for games & other media - such as gametrailers in HD, demos, new themes etc. plus the lack of force feedback with the PS3 leaves the next-gen experience incomplete which is not the case with the Xbox 360.

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Xbox 360 Premium (component version)

Posted Nov 27, 2007 - Even though I'm a fairly hardcore gamer, I'd say this console has definitely not won many points with me since I've owned it (or, maybe, it's pwned me?!?!). I love the huge library of games, the integration with games with the well-thought-out online community (Xbox Live!), and the feel of the controllers. I hate the heating issues with this thing, though. I'm currently on my 2nd XB360 (I sent the first back to Microsoft for repairs within the 1st year...typical for this console) and am probably going to end up sending back this one for more repairs. Frankly, I'm torked that M$ would allow something with this level of build quality (and the amount of $ it cost me) to get into consumers' hands and not replace it with a working console (it's widely known that most folks have had to have their XB360 replaced at least once). The sad thing: I can't stay away. The mix of games and online community via Xbox Live! is too compelling to make me throw this thing out alltogether. So, I'll suffer Microsoft's apparent lack of care for their consumer base and keep playing my ExBox.

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What are you thinking?

Posted May 15, 2006 - I've had my 360 since December, and in that time, I haven't once regretted buying it. I won't be one of the people that lies and says that there are no problems, but those problems are few, and the system more than makes up for them. The 360 was my jump from Sony to Microsoft, and I still haven't decided if I'm looking back. With a set price of $599 for the premium system, I'm not sure if the PS3 is worth taking out a loan. However, I do have one bit of advice, and because of that, I doubt anyone will be reading this... DON'T PAY $600 FOR A REFURB 360. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY STUPID. GO TO WALMART, BEST BUY, CIRCUIT CITY, ECT. AND BUY A BRAND NEW, NEVER OPENED, NEVER PLAYED 360 FOR $399.

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super playing machine

Posted Jan 31, 2006 - fantasticly amazing,fast,loud and higly enjoyable. Twise as good as the ps3 will ever be. Definatly worth my money. Never will there be a better concel (unless the next xbox).

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wow

Posted Nov 26, 2005 - this thing is very good. Everyone is afraid of how microsoft's 1.0 versions always have bugs, well i have had mine since the second day it cme out and i have noticed nothing of the sort. The controllers are great. The package with the hard drive and the wireless controllers is a better way to go. All in all this is a great product which completely destroys what the PS3 has to offer. PS3's liquid crystal hard-drive completely failed them so they have to use diiferent technology now. Xbox might of won this one.

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best console currently

Posted Apr 22, 2006 - The xbox 360 was my first console, and from reading a lot about it, I think the system completely met my expectations. I certainly wouldn't be saying this if I bought it earlier than Ghost Recon and Oblivion, but the wait was worth it. I have heard that the graphics compare with the radeon x1800 and that's probably pretty accurate, as people have gotten pc versions of these games to run on comparable systems. It's true that the top sli system from nvidia (7900 xt) is a factor of 1.8 times the processing power, but only the graphics cards will cost you three times the console. Although the powerpc is not new like the cell, it is good technology (core duo's not as much faster as apple would like), and this was actually the most drastic change from the original xbox, according to Microsoft it's speed is a factor of 52, and programmers probably have not fully utilized it yet. The games were really amazing. I was a bit alienated by using a controller, but it gives you a lot of magnetism (you don't have to aim right at enemies) even in hard mode, and was much nicer than I expected. However I still prefer the mouse, and ghost recon would be pointless without the magnetism, and slightly unrealistic enemy response times. Also it's extremely annoying not to be able to move at variable speeds with any sort of scope. I haven't played Oblivion as much but what I have seen is amazing. The outdoors slow down a bit (20-30 fps) simply because there's so much, which is evidence that the xbox 360's graphics power is indeed limited, but it was still a nice experience. The built in antialiasing and procedural texture functions add nice effects, but there are obvious sampling problems, and ghost recon and oblivion's shadowing really was not outstanding. If sony can offer anything close to the trailers for metal gear and the supposedly fake killzone trailer, they will certainly win in terms of graphics, and I'm sure sony's games will be good as well. The xbox live is obviously Microsoft's way to make money for those not buying accessories. The price isn't bad but it is rather limited. I really was least impressed with the windows media playback. Microsoft was going to have wmvhd playback, and indeed it can play high resolution files but the player is awful - it can only pause and stop, and there is no support for any of the dvds that are out (most of which are imax now). Obviously the xbox 360 wasn't really intended to beat sony's new high definition battle, and though video games are often a better enterprise than videos, especially at $60 a game, but the disc royalties would have been profitable. I suppose for previous console gamers will appreciate "hd" but it is nothing new for me. Windows Vista's DirectX 10 will bring standardized occlusion testing and point sprite acceleration, and something called "geometry shaders". They're a good idea (being able to edit vertices and save with only the card) but still limited to built in triangle rasterizing. Microsoft says for now that the directx 9 sdk is similar to xbox development kit, therefore I think it will again end up loosing to the computer, especially when advanced shaders come out utilizing this important new feature. worst of all is the fact there is no linux yet or any time soon. I am not ripping apart my console to help a development effort (www.free60.org...) that will probably take a very long time. Microsoft is afraid that the xbox will hurt its windows sales according to some articles I have read. They also mention the connectivity and stand alone playback is again an attempt to defend Windows sales. I think if the Sony Playstation 3 turns out to be at least close to what it has promised, Microsoft will again be fighting as the secondary manufacturer, and probably disrupting its rather integrated interface to try and compete with Sony's features. Other notes - "multiple dvds" is pretty unrealistic because of procedural texture generation. The ability to interrupt games I believe is pretty new for a console, and certainly very useful. The controller is shaped well, and the system doesn't look outlandish (a very good thing). It's nice to get a bundle instead of buying rip off accessories. You will need an optical connection if you want 5.1 sound. The console will get noisy after a few minutes, but this is expected. The optical drive is relatively fast. The system will take 7 gb from your hard drive so don't expect to store movies. You cannot do anything while you download.

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Truely A Mind Blowing Multimedia Extravaganza!!!

Posted Mar 22, 2006 - Besides having the best Mind Blowing HD-ready Graphics, Digital 5.1 Surround & Unparalleled Wireless Performance; This 360 Premium System, with the 20GB Hard Drive & Ethernet Cabability, allows seamless integration with Windows XP. Thus allowing the capability to store Pictures, Music & Video. That's right store pictures straight from your digital camera or memory card, file all your favorite music cd's for disc free playback, even use your 360 system as a DVR or TiVo to pause & rewind live TV. Truly a mind blowing little piece of equipment.

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XBOX 360 a lot better product, with outstanding HD graphics

Posted Jan 6, 2006 - The product met and exceeded my expectations. The graphics and the attention to detail is outstanding. The interface has been streamlined, setting up and making changes is a breeze. The speed of loading games and response time has vastly improved, the players using internet gaming will love the response time. Overall excellent product, the price will come down when competetors have their products launched.

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Overall a very good product, and at the price poin ...

Posted Jun 23, 2006 - Overall a very good product, and at the price point PS3 is coming into the market this was a no-brainer especially since I really only play sports + GTA games.

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When you buy something new that needs to have warr ...

Posted Jan 19, 2006 - When you buy something new that needs to have warranty work, it is hard to do because we don't know where to take it to, because we don't know where it was originally purchased. It is difficult even though the x box 360 was never even opened by the seller.

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Awesome

Posted Nov 26, 2005 - This system was the best $400 dollars I have spent in my life. The video games for it are as amazing as the 360 itself. Its game are as realistic as life can get

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I Expected More!

Posted Nov 29, 2005 - The xbox 360 is slightly disappointing to me, the graphics are only slightly better than on the original console, I already own a few HD games for the original xbox and the graphic improvements of the 360 are even less noticeable in those games (the jaggies are slightly less apparent). I can't wait to buy a game that really puts the xbox 360's hardware to task to see what it can really do. A huge plus is that the xbox 360 adds a bunch of new functions with xbox live and connectivity options so it functions more as a media hub, which I'm just starting to explore, in this case it resembles a multimedia computer more so than a gaming system. To sum it up, it's a good system (not great, but good), I just expected a little more of a jump (as far as graphics go) between the orginal and the 360.

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awesome

Posted Dec 5, 2005 - love it!!! i cant stop playing on this wonderful piece of machinery made by the brilliant microsoft company. the graphics are phenominal and the games couldnt be better!! if you dont have one, i highly suggest you get one!

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the Xbox360

Posted Nov 30, 2005 - You will think its a waste of money but it is not.This system is one of the best with all of the features it has to offer. Some people think that $400 dollars is a waste of money but you have to think of it like in a investment because this is one of the newest system on the market.

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