Canon Puts Efficiency On Press-
"This is the Xbox you've been waiting for." on by NerdJutsu
Pros: - Integrated Wifi
- Modern, Sleek shape form
- 250gb Hard Drive
- HD Netflix, Zune, ESPN
- Optical Audio, HDMICons: - DVD...
- RCA cables... C'MON it's 2010
- Fingerprint Magnet
- XBOX Live costs moneySummary: I've been a gamer since I first played Afterburner in my Sega Master System, I was 3 years old. Since then I've tried to own every console that comes out and that make sense to buy.
The Xbox 360 was not a console that made sense buying up until this model. Not having integrated WiFi up until 2010 is a big drawback, owning a Wii and a PS3 I wasn't willing to drag an ethernet cable all through my living room just to play on the Xbox. To my surprise the WiFi is also really fast compared to the PS3s (specially when downloading updates). 250GB Hard Drive should cover all my media needs, even though I have a 2TB HTPC right next to it and making the Hard Drive propietary, is still a ripoff. As other reviews have said, the console is very quiet, sleek and has great power savings.
The Dashboard experience feels like a perfect balance between the Wii's childish approach and the PS3's Manly-Glossy approach. I own a Roku, HTPC, Wii and a PS3, I've tried the Netflix experience through all of them and the Xbox 360 solution is the best one. It was the fastest, sleekest and with WiFi 802.11n you will be able to watch all your videos in pure (erm, compressed, streamed) HD. I'm really looking forward to watch ESPN videos as well.
Even though I will pay for Xbox live, I'm not sure if it's something we "should" be paying for. I'm all for having a premium model but don't limit a game's capabilities just because of that. Having to pay full price for the games, paying for your console and paying for my internet connection should be more than enough for me to be able to play multiplayer games. You are hosting the games on my console anyways.
All being said and done, if you have been waiting for the right time to buy an Xbox, this is it. If you own a PS3 you might still not see the point, personally the only games I got were Gears of War 1 and 2 and I'm not sure I want anything else for now. If you already own an Xbox, I say pick this one up when yours RROD' again :P
Cheers! -
"Great upgrade, but not perfect" on by localyocal
Pros: The difference in noise and heat alone are worth the upgrade. The 250GB hard drive is also nice (I had the original 20GB version of the first 360).
Cons: No HD connectivity (READ HDMI or HD component cable) out of the box is ridiculous. There is no WOW factor. You think to yourself, "I just spent how much for the exact same functionality?" Granted the Kinect compatibility will be a future benefit...
Summary: Overall, a good buy especially if you can get the trade-in specials offered by several retailers currently. I paid less than $125 for mine by trading in a controller, original XBox 360, Hard Drive, and Wireless Adapter. I'm assuming that the kit for Kinect compatibility would be at least half of that. Here's hoping to no hardware issues!! (*cough, cough* right...)
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"It's Taken 5 Years, But the "True" 360 Is Here" on by Hellrazr360
Pros: Given a sleek and light facelift, more USB slots is welcome, far quieter than previous models, plenty of storage on the included hard drive, built-in wi-fi.
Cons: Prone to having fingerprints and smudges show, doesn't come with HD cables, disc tray looks cheap and obsolete, older hard drives aren't compatible, doesn't offer much that previous models didn't.
Summary: The Xbox 360 has had a run not too different from what a heavy metal band goes through when they become more mainstream with each subsequent album release (see Amorphis, In Flames, etc.). It's a given that the 360 will continue to have the largest (and arguably best) game library of this current generation. But much like the PS2 before it, the 360 has been frequently reported for having a lack of reliability (so much so that Microsoft extended the warranty before addressing the issues themselves). Having stuck with the system since the year of its launch and having gone through five prior to purchasing a Slim, I think it's clear my experience hasn't been entirely optimistic.
But now Microsoft have given us a slim design of the 360 much like the PS2 and PS3 (shrinking the included power brick, but not eliminating it). The appearance change is welcome, with one of the notable differences being that the hard drive is now placed inside the system itself (as a result, the previous version of hard drives aren't compatible with the 360 Slim). You can still try to transfer content with aftermarket cables, but there's also the option to take your content off Xbox Live itself.
Outside of aesthetic differences, the Xbox 360 Slim doesn't offer much that previous versions didn't. The included hard drive holds 250GB, the fan is significantly quieter than before and buttons are now touch-activated. A couple of the few changes made that are more notable is a more convenient support for Kinect out of the box (which I haven't tried) and the inclusion of a built-in wi-fi adapter. Other than these relatively minor changes, this is still fundamentally the same Xbox 360 you know. One of the few downsides to this updated version of the console is that HD cables aren't included (just the regular yellow/white/red outlets), despite the much-emphasized and marketed promise of HD and a built-in HDMI outlet.
With all this in-mind, those who haven't made the shift to the current generation of videogame consoles are the most encouraged to purchase an Xbox 360. If you happen to be among the few like me who have had the regular Xbox 360 up to this point and were stuck with the original 20GB hard drive, then a purchase of the 360 Slim might be easier to swallow than others. Either way, this is more or less an updated and seemingly more reliable version of the 360. The price for the 250GB version is reasonable and what's included is, for the most part, ideal and welcome. -
"scratches disks if freezes and leaves spinning when off" on by ps3veteran
Pros: good graphics has WiFi can connect with the kinect
Cons: scratches game disks and if frozen and if turned off sometimes leaves the games spinning inside of the console DO NOT UNPLUG FROM POWER BOX IF FROZEN
Summary: A mediocre advancement from the regular 360
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"Good console, makes up for faults on previous models." on by SmokeyD155
Pros: Wireless technology,touch buttons,New sleek design, better coolers and overall slimmed down in size.
Cons: Touch buttons are too sensitive.
Summary: A very good finished product by microsoft, makes up for faults on previous models.
Microsoft Xbox 360 S user reviews (250GB)
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