Unpacking the Xbox 360
By Peter Rojas 
posted November 17th 2005 11:10AM
posted November 17th 2005 11:10AM
Um, we, uh, might not be blogging for a few days. Something really important has, um, come up. Super important stuff. Family stuff, you know? Thanks for understanding.
When you get the chance to look at the console, you'll see that the white plastic is only a shell. Its only purpose is to provide the form factor of the machine. Inside is the liquid cooling plus TWO fans in the back. Everything is all housed inside a metal rectangular box inside of the plastic white shell.
The power plug-in in the back has six(double sided) prongs to connect to the power adapter. The plug-in for the adapter is about the size of a nickel or a penny(its a decent size).
The front face plate isnt as easy to take off.
The USB port is a little too close to the ethernet port. However, the $100 wireless adapter mounts in the back, possibly blocking the USB port.
If you want the remote control, then you better get one of the first few shipments. The remote is only included in those shipments and later on it will be a pay for add-on. As it says on the box "While supplies last".
Power Supply:
The power supply is so big becuase all the power supply components have been moved out of the box to keep heat out and to make the visiable part (the XBOX) small. Take a look at the size of your desktop power supply in the case, it's huge.
Visual Display:
Remember, Mircosoft has put the power and capabilities for awsome graphics in this baby but it's up to the game developers to take advantage of it. Try taking an old home video you recorded 10 years ago, converting it to DVD and play it on your HDTV... doesn' t look any better now does it. Now take the new Sony HDV HC-1 (HDTV camcorder), burn it to a DVD and watch it on your HDTV. Same TV, same DVD player, two totaly different results. The same goes for the XBOX 360 and it's games. It's how the programmers used the resources given to them.
Another Note:
One of the main things I'm looking forward to is the matchmaking features they were talking about. You tell them what type of gamer you are it it tries to match you with simular poeple. (man it would be nice to not have to play with immature litte kids trash talking until their mommy walks into the room...)
Also it will be nice to see if Micrsoft has found a better way to stop modders. As far as I'm concerned if your modding in anything other then a custom game they should not only ban your gamer card but the address that the gamer card was tied to when you used your credit card. This way they kid couldn't get another account until he moved. I think that would fix a lot right there.
The "E" rating is for the game Hexic, which is included on the Hard Drive for the $400 premium package buyers. The Core system doesnt have a rating because it doesnt have a Hard Drive. There ya go 3 days left!
Honestly, anyone who complains about the way the freakin' box looks is a moron. I'd actually prefer it if it came in a generic brown cardboard box if it saved me $10 off the price. Who the f--- cares if it's ugly? Same goes for the size of the power supply and how nifty the machine itself looks. Who cares!?! It's not art! It has a specific function. As long as it doesn't have shards of broken glass sticking out of it, you really shouldn't care.
Complain about lack of games, complain about the look and feel of the software... but don't bitch about things that make absolutely zero difference in the experience of what the machine is made for.
The power supply is pretty big... it's a desktop machine with an external power supply... I'm surprised it's only 50% or so bigger than my laptop's power supply.
Too bad the whole thing looks like crap and the graphics are silly. I'm glad the ps3 will run linux.
guys I'm wicked sick of ure bitchin about the psu and its size, if any of you morons have ever opened the original xbox up the psu inside was about 2/3 the size this one and considering the vast power consuption increase , in response to someone who said they couldnt fit the psu through their stereo cabinet hole, youre an idiot, what you do is run ht etiny cord through the hole then plug it into the psu once its on the other side. If you could sit down and think about how you set it up before you go and cut holes in the back then you wouldnt have any trouble.
about the 2 controllers thing, the premium package costs 100 dollars more than the core, subsequently it comes with accesories that the core doesnt totalling in excess of 150 dollars do you really thing MS would give another 50 dollars woth of free controller on top of that, lets be rational ppl come on.
cardboard boxs arent supposed to look good so dont complain about it and the case itself is appleaing looking to all, it doesnt jhave to be the "black box of death" it just has to look decent and play games. besides i admit im an xbox fanboy but the original xbox was ugly as shit
so plz stop yo bitchin k
Man on ebay this thing are almost at $600. And it hasn't even arrived yet!Here's an idea,go buy it early this tuesday and then sell it for any $$$. Supply and demand...I guess.
And the launch games are mediocre,the only good thing about this is that if you have an HDTV,it's worth it. This x-mas im glad all I have to do is sit back and play GT4,while others are suffering the risk of injuries.
Damn! 1.21 gigawatts! Damn Microsoft! Not only will I be broke, but everytime I try to turn on my Xbox 360, HDTV, kick-ass sound system, and have the A.C. on (you know, to cool the massive power supply) the power grid will fail and I'll be kept from playing my precious Xbox for days!
it is a sick sad worls when a system is out and people complain that it looks like crap. a swift kick in the nuts to everyone complaining about it looking bad! wheres all the hype about how awesome it is? its going to get dusty and nasty in a few years anyways no matter how much u play it.... btw i think i had an orgasm when i saw a pic of it....
u ppl are f------ stupid who cares wat the box looks like. the power brick is big cuz it needs alot of power to power the thing and the 'E' i sfor the game included. there hav i ansred ur questions?
u idiots
#108:
You THINK you had an orgasm? Are you such a geek that you don't know what a real orgasm is like?
Man, it really looks HOT, I love this console but I can afford it if I go for a PS3, but I'll have to get the PS3 caz X360 doesn't have Tekken on it, its a shame for both Namco and Microsoft.
Bah! All i see is a sega 32x!
HOW LOUD IS IT?
/lol
I'm gonna get the ps3 just cuz i hate microsoft and windows, their lame excuse for an operating system. Why doesn't apple start making a video game system? They're great at making computers and all the next generation systems seem just to be different versions of computers.
Garbage, I prefer a Portable Media Player for Christmas. No soccer games with the 360, the world most popular sport. I just seat back & play the Warriors & Winning 11 in my old xbox & wait for a real console to conect to my HDTV. $400 for a machine that does almost the same as the old one,is a big price to pay
Oh wow. That's a great closeup!
My MSN screen-name has been "Time until XBOX 360 is released: (time). Time until the XBOX 360 is surpassed in every concievable way by my rig: 3 months ago!" But thinking about it now, I can see a place for the 360. Playing with your friends while on your couch, pretty good graphics, and the whole "Set it and forget it" idea of never worrying about upgrading. But I just can't take people crooning over this thing as if these kinds of graphics never existed before this morning. I played CoD2 on a 360 when I visited Boston earlier this month (at bestbuy), and though its an improvment over the original xbox, my PC could surpass those types of graphics by a tenfold 3 months ago, and my old rig was doing the same since last christmas. People have to acknowledge that PCs have better hardware (and always will), their setback is just a dearth of user-friendliness.
Dear #69
No, the HDMI cable is not a ripoff. The 360 natively renders in DIGITAL 720 progressive and then downconverts the signal to a crappy 480 Analog signal for those without an HDTV. If you had been paying any attention to digital rights the last few months, you would know that the administration has just closed the "analog hole" meaning that the new blu-ray or HD-DVD disks you buy will NOT play in their full high definition, unless the display device (your TV) can input an encoded digital signal (DVI or HDMI. If you get a new player and are still using an old analog TV, or a really crappy HDTV without HDMI or DVI inputs, your new DVD player or Xbox360 will only play the high def DVD at a standard DVD quality. Since it's a pretty safe bet MS will be upgrading the Xbox sometime next year to support a High-def DVD format, you won't actually be able to use the upgraded player WITHOUT those "worthless" HDMI cables. So to all you fanboys planning on getting an HDTV, make sure it has at LEAST a HDMI input on it. For more info on digital rights and HDMI, check out www.dvdfile.com
i would just like to point out that the sony fanboys cant think of anyway to make fun of the 360s awesomeness so they resort to the power adapter.... its not that big a deal
I doesnt look like a game comes with it! Wut else would the E be for?
does the xbox 360 play regular xbox games
i believe you have to download emulators for the old xbox games... sold separately... and it is per game... however, there is a full pack for all of the games which i might think is a cheaper deal..
yeah. 360 looks so hot, sexy and it got dem curves. Well wat I'm trying to say is dat is gonna rock out loud more next year wit games. But the top games for dis year is PGR3, COD 2, PDZ, and kameo. Man ppl excpect so much of the graphics u seein. its till 2005. next year comes oblivion, the amzing hot new ghost recon(best graphics so far I think) gears of war, new tenchu, HALO 3 and lots of lots more. Look at wat u gettin. yeah ps3 is hot but wastin 500-600$ and so much money on games. it cant even read used games. But ps3 still is hot but yea 360s gonna rock too
Tell me something guys. What would you rather have the Xbox 360 or a date with a supermodel of your choice? What do you people make of the technical glitches that have been reported? Would a non-geek/nerd like myself who last played Frogger at the arcade want to buy the 360 for the stuff it has that's not related to gaming? Thanks for your help.
Millions in research and Bill couldn't make a bigger system? Bigger power blockbrick? BIGGER Controllers? Poor Nintendo the Ladies won't respect your small little system...and Sony a stylish sleek system...why don't u have a girlfriend Sony? Big systems are in like big boxy cars and tv's so sez microsoft market research.
if microsoft made a portable would it really be portable?
Two quick questions : can I hook the Xbox360 up to my HDTV which only has DVI inputs?
How bad is the noise it generates (cooling-fans and such)?
is it reli, really loud
omg i am going to need a new pair or pants
Hmm...Was considering getting one for my video game obsessed boyfriend for christmas, but I think a better plan is to wait until his birthday in april...he'll just have to suffer with his "over-the-hill" xbox. I've heard so many negative things about this new system, so I'm gonna wait to spend $400 on it until I know more about what the deal is. Unless someone can fill me in on the truth behind what might be rumors about the instability of this thing...overheating and freezing rumors, that is. Does anyone know?
The console HAS to be that large for future expandability. In the spring 06, Microsoft will unveil the 33 LP adapter, making the XBOX 360 the first gaming console to play old vinyl records. A true multimedia delight!
Hi,
Can anyone tell me if I connect the 360 xbox to a TFT Monitor iiyama ProLite E431S what kind of Graphic's Qualitiy would I get,I currently have a Sappire 9800XT Graphic's card installed in my PC and I am considering using the the XBOX 360 for games only and my PC for other thing,I would be grateful of any help or advice,
Thanks
#134 You need to buy the VGA cable for the 360. Altho it will be better than a standard TV it doens't quite add up to High Def
hi ppl the xbox 360 crashing here a little help ppl saying the psu it big right and its over heating witch is makeing the xbox 360 to crash get the psu off the floor and you sould be fine sorted this has work for every 1 i have told so far what can you lose just try it out ok bye my email is davidr558761506@aol.com fill free to email me at any time
I just wanted to say this is the greatest system I have ever played ever since the night I got my xbox 360 i have been on it. I went and camped out in front of best buy and got 2 systems. I was getting one for me and one for my brother but my brother already got one that night. So much for my christmas presents to him. now I have the xbox 360 premium for sale on ebay please take a look I have to get rid of it. thanks
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8239484913&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1
Well i managed to get a Xbox 360 and have it here in Ireland, if anyone wants it for a desperate christmas present offer me 550 Pounds and its yours...Make someone's christmas this year get them My Xbox 360, Email me at: yellowfiatpunto@eircom.net ,. i will make sure its shipped out with tracking number and insurance
ah...I want that one
Power adaptor......Power adaptor.......Power adaptor!!!! How many people look at the power adapter while playing their consoles......mmmmm, let me think about that. It must be an American thing, us over in the UK tend to look at the TV screen while playing!!!! My adapter is hidden behind the TV stand, yes your right the mice have started to complain how big the power adapter is but I don't care.
I hate the PS3 or Revolution fan boys!!!! I get all the consoles, yes you can too if you get a job!! At the end of the day the XBox 360 is the baddest boy on the block at the moment, once linked up to my HD plasma it looks great, now if you fanboys are happy to play your PS2's or Gamecubes and cus the 360 then that's fair enough.... but deep down you all want one, yeah you know you do, yeah you!!
Microsoft, windows, adaptors, you guy's are soooo stupid!
I don't like the look!! Who cares what it looks like!!!! I was kinda hoping for my XBox 360 to hoover round the room while I play Perfect Dark, or be invisible but I was let down............weirdo's!
hey just to let you guys know I found this page that will hopefully will get me an xbox 360 without waiting in line for hours.
http://www.d3als.com/xbox-360-finder.php
question. I have my 360 now and I was looking at this picture and wondering what all that extra stuff is in the middle of the wireless controller. because its not on mine. If you look close, you see like a black switch between the two thumb sticks and another button bellow that. What are those, and are they on anyone elses?
SPECIAL K. you posted a while back.
you are freaking retarted. check out the specs before you start saying that your pc can out do the 360. The only reason call of duty 2 looks like a regular pc game, is becasue it is. thats all they did, was transfer that same game from the pc to the 360. up until now, developers have not been %100 sure of what the 360 was going to have in it, so they couldn't take full advantage of the hardware it has in it. I can gaurantee that games in summer (maybe even spring, like gears of war, so exicted for that game) will be killing the pc's graphics. you can't tell me that your computer has 3 proccers of 3.2 ghz. the 360 has hardware in it, that will not be avaiable for any PC in an estimated 12 months at least. and then it will be very expensive. you tell me the better deal. spending $3,000 on a good gaming pc that you will have to update every year, or spending $400 on the 360 that has hardware in it not even availabe for another 12 months on the pc. please know your info before you post and start saying the pc is so much better.
paintbalsk8r14@inbox.com if anyone has any questions or comments on my last two post.
Totally agree with Special K, don't use that name as it sounds a bit girly!
Anyways I think if you have the money, PC's will kick @rse with all consoles coz you can upgrade them with the latest technology but that's only for rich peops!
I haven't been able to find an xbox 360 anywhere, and it is January. What's the deal? When will Microsoft be sending them out to stores? Any ideas?