New Xbox 360 loses ability to flash a red ring, can still probably die a fiery death
It's a color we know so well, but it looks like Microsoft would like to dissociate itself from its RROD heritage, or perhaps just ran out of red LEDs: the new Xbox 360 only has a green ring around its power button, so even if you wrap the thing in a blanket and set it on fire, it won't be flashing red to tell you how it feels. This was unearthed in a spec sheet that Joystiq received from a tipster, along with all the other fancy specs you can see above. Overall the console is 17% smaller, which really goes to show that Microsoft was much more interested in noise and heat reduction than sliding the new 360 into a smaller crevice of your home entertainment center.























I can't wait to get GROD.
@aforty
If Microsoft has never tried to be cute and put in the RROD in the first place, then people would have just said "I have a broken XBOX" rather than being able to say, I HAVE A RED RING OF DEATH.
Microsoft gave broken Xboxes a "household name".
This reminds me of the movie Broken Arrow where one of the character's states:
"I'm not sure what's worse, the possibility that the government could lose a nuclear bomb or the fact it happens so much you have a CODEWORD FOR IT"
@aforty Jaja, hope it don't happen anymore though.
@gracefulspammer I agree completely. But someone came up with the acronym and the bad news for Microsoft was that it stuck. But this is a good step forward for them.
@Rick Astley
Oh no! I have been Rick Roll'd. Such a surprise, coming from Rick Astley himself.
@aforty
Ask and you shall receive:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/11/13/gorilla_grodd_bb_2.jpg
@gracefulspammer Not true. Someone would have proliferated an (adjective) (noun) of (grim result) phrase no matter what the details. It's what we do. The pattern has been with us since "blue screen of death," and it isn't going anywhere.
@aforty
The key is to make it so when your product breaks, IT COMPLETELY GOES DEAD and leaves no lasting signs of why - this way there can be no innuendo or Engadget jokes aimed towards you.
What do you call it when a PS3 stops working?
What do you call it when a Wii stops working?
I have NO IDEA...cause even though it happens, there is no lasting explanation of the symptom.
@gracefulspammer
Look up Yellow Light of Death for PS3.
@gracefulspammer
And to a lesser extent:
Black Screen of Death for the Wii.
@Meekermoloko
Let's be honest: that just sounds lame.
@Meekermoloko Yellow Loom Of Doom sounds better to me. The PS3 owners need to put more effort into a cool name.
@gracefulspammer
Fun fact; the code term for a lost nuclear weapon is actually empty quiver, not broken arrow, which means something else.
@aforty
"Broken Arrow" means there has been an incident involving nuclear weapons but, THERE IS NO THREAT OF NUCLEAR WAR.
"empty quiver" means that someone stole a nuke
In the movie, the bad guy (John Travolta) tricked the Pentagon into thinking we'd lost 2 nukes by accident which would have suggested a Broken Arrow. Instead, he planned to sell one to terrorists and he detonated the other on US soil. That would constitute an "Empty Quiver" or "Pinnacle Nucflash"
@aforty
Even though they focused on noise and heat reduction, they did make it smaller to fit in a smaller crevice of one's home entertainment center.
Bravo, Microsoft, bravo! We applaud your honest efforts.
Is there still an IR receiver? I don't see one, but I suppose it could be hidden near that green light at the top.
@Meekermoloko
That's not something many people see.
@Meekermoloko My PS3 suffers from the Green Ring of Death, as long as my 360 has a green ring, my PS3 doesn't boot up :p
@FlyingCodeMonkey once again wrong your example speak for itself if they would have just turned your computer off and not tried to save any of your crap by putting in a quick fix error sign (blue screen) you wouldnt have that phrase
@gracefulspammer the ps3 owners started calling it ps3pocalypse when the leap year problem happened, but its wordy and not nearly as catchy as RROD
@gigi82 It was actually called the apocalyPS3
I would love to know how hot the system performs especially with the new Coolmaster fans
@ComeShot
Yeah, like does it still sound like a vacuum cleaner?
@ComeShot
I am looking forward to how quite it is. I also like the fact that it uses less power. I usually leave my box on because i forget.
@a falling stone
Yeah I know. I forget too sometimes. But when I finally shut it off and realize how quiet it is in the room, I'm like: "HOW COULD IT BE MAKING ALL THAT F..ING NOISE!"
I still haven't seen a picture of one next to a Xbox 360 Original.
There's probably gonna be something new, like "Three green LED's of death."
Jk, love yah microsoft.
Instead the machine will now just punch you in the face through your game.
@Colours
Very funny--although, with that detailed knowledge of your anatomy via kinect they probably could hit you in your bad knee or bruised shoulder.
@Colours Yup that is what is going to happen. You nailed it it. Good job.
s/
@Al Jeffers They will get you into a game, using the IR cameras discover where the sharpest object in the room is, and have you run straight into it while cleverly disguising it as a way to control the character on screen... Devious I tell you, but it just might work!
@Al Jeffers Right in the Mean Bean Machine!
Simply removing the lights wont fix the RROD, Microsoft. Hopefully there is more under the shell to keep it away.
@QwaF Well there is a giant fan under the vents on the side.
@TSSaloic and the 45nm hybrid CPU/GPU
@QwaF
And a new MB and PSU
The Kensington lock support is cool. I didn't know about that.
LOL @ Microsoft trying to "fix" the problem.
RROD to GROD
I don't care though Microsoft, I had two original xbox's and three 360's.
I just bought the student version of Office 2010!
I love Microsoft,
SiXiam...
PS: If you write Microsoft with M$, I don't read your comments, because I consider you too biased no matter if you make a good point or not.
@SiXiam Pretty hypocritical to call other people biased after a comment like that.
@David Wagner
I didn't mean to come off as hypocritical, that's why I added that I love Microsoft. I'll gladly buy their products, because I feel they are superior to their competitors. After all they did extend the warranty to 3 years, because of the heat issues. Oddly enough I had most of my problems with the dvd drive on both the original xbox and the 360.
@SiXiam
I saw that you had written M$ in your post, so I didn't read it. No offense.
@Blizaine
None taken, I understand.
@Blizaine
but if you saw M$ in his post didnt you have to read it to see it was there? O_o
@SiXiam
....................M$!!!!!
Lol coulndnt resist, I'm a M$ fan as well, have 2 zunes, an xbox 360, all my comps have windows 7, but indeed I use an iPhone. M$ just can't seem to keep pace with iOS and Android, I'm not too impressed with WM7 either......unfortunately.
@Gooch818
Its hard to be impressed about something that isnt out yet...maybe wait till something is released to decide how you feel about it.
Anyone else notice that they took off all the memory unit slots?
@Black Vista
Yeah, they made that point prior (that it would no longer be compatible with memory units).
Sucks for people who had them though.
@Black Vista
That's because they enabled the ability to use a common flash drive. You don't need them anymore.
@Black Vista Yes. Engadget noted this in a previous entry I believe