So as some of you may have read yesterday, my weekend was thrown for a loop (a sober one for a change) in that my 360 started giving me a disc read error and making funny noises. I came to you guys first for help and got a lot of great help. I appreciate it.

Today I took the system back to Best Buy (literally two years to date from my original purchase) to receive my 3rd 360 in a two-year period. Amen for service replacement plans. I swapped hard drives (against their will) and soon I was home unpacking my new/old toy. In so doing I started thinking and have a few quick rants/musings on the state of Microsoft’s hardware business.


Oh, herro.

1) They’ve changed the SKU. Again.

It seems that every time I hafta get a new 360 something new is different. Last time I replaced my 360 I realized the shiny plastic around the Premium system was replaced by a duller gray scheme. This is still true. This is most noticeable on the bottoms of the controllers. I still have my shiny one from my first 360.

They also went and started integrating the microphones with thumb pad pass-thrus. I was fearing this. Whoever decided to remove the mic on/off switch from directly underneath the controller (the closest place to hit it with your thumb) and move it to a point ¾ of the way up the wire to your mouth is an idiot. They did this to allow the mic to be used with the thumb pad accessory. In so doing they nerfed my ability to actively turn the mic on and off in the midst of a heated game when someone walks in the room I need to talk to. Brilliant. Instead of designing a slightly different thumb pad, they took away the ease at which one can now communicate inside and outside of games. Fail.


This is exactly what my first 360 looked like. The Intercooler was actually melted to the inside of the power pass-thru.

They also went ahead and nerfed the Nyko Intercooler add-on fan accessory. I bought an Intercooler as soon as I got my first 360. It eventually went ahead and fried the internal organs of my baby console, but I bought a new one anyway when I replaced that 360 for the RROD. Well, the new Intercooler never did anything harmful to my 2nd 360 and I kept it around for this one. Only, Microsoft went ahead and changed the power cord hook-up going into the system. This new cord now has a piece of plastic that stops it from being plugged into the Intercooler. Now I realize they likely did this to lower the number of users inadvertently frying their system via use of the warranty-voiding peripheral, but for those of us without problems using it, I now have a wasted $25 fan lying in a box. Thanks.

2) Microsoft’s QA is in full gear

This little crazy train of thought came to me as I walked home with my console. Seeing as the 360’s hardware woes have put a big dent both in Microsoft’s street cred with gamers, as well as the general system-puchasing populace, AND cost them boat loads of money, I’m pretty sure of one thing. The NextBox (or whatever it will be called… the 720, what have you) will be the single most reliable console ever built.

Since Microsoft has had to retroactively extend warranties as well as save face with its supporters, I can guarantee they will not make the same mistake in the next generation (whenever that may be). The engineer that fucks up and allows for RRODs on the new console will be shot on spot and replaced immediately. Their engineering gaffs have cost them millions upon millions of dollars (as well as tons of respect and trust). They will not let it happen again and one of the key marketing points in the next generation will be how reliable the system is. Forget new graphics core processors and wireless mind-controlled games, they’re gonna hammer home the fact the shit won’t breakdown.

3) I think they had it coming to them.

If you think about it, Microsoft engineered and built the 360 knowing full well the RROD would happen. That’s why they built it with red LEDs inside. It’s why the console knows what error is occurring.


Notice anything different from the last RROD pic? HOW THE FUCK DOES THE SYSTEM KNOW IT'S ON ITS SIDE!

If they knew the system was likely enough to breakdown and die (which they initially claimed was at a much lower rate than in reality) then why did they go ahead and release it. The PC blue screen of death was simply a system failure (usually), but it was so hard to know when it would happen there was no real way of pinning an error message on the screen. With the 360, however, they knew it happened and clearly why it would happen so they engineered a feedback mechanism to easily show their (now poised) users what was wrong.

Maybe I’m wrong on the last point or two, but those are just my two cents. I’ve had a big tumultuous amount of feelings towards Microsoft (and Best Buy) over the past few days so I apologize if this was too much rambling.

What are your thoughts on all of this type of shit?