The console's real Achilles' heel has been its unacceptably poor
reliability: A vast number of Xbox 360 consoles have suffered the
dreaded "red right of death" error, a fatal glitch that renders them unusable. It's been a huge frustration for even the most forgiving 360 owner. That said, Microsoft has made amends by offering a three year limited warranty,
guaranteeing replacement of those faulty consoles. Anecdotal evidence
continues to suggest that the problem afflicts mostly older consoles.
In other words, those manufactured in 2007 or later--the ones equipped
with HDMI ports--should be much more stable than their predecessors.

In addition to the (we hope) improved reliability, we wish the upgraded
version of the console had included a few more substantive fixes as
well--a smaller power supply, a quieter disc drive, and built-in Wi-Fi.
Nevertheless, the addition of HDMI, a best-in-class game library, and
the cheapest price to date ($50 lower than the original console) make
the Xbox 360 an offer that few gamers will be able to refuse.

Hardware reliability

As mentioned above, the Xbox 360 has been plagued by a series of
hardware problems, most commonly represented by the now infamous "red
ring of death"--the three flashing red lights that the console displays
when a major hardware malfunction has occurred. Microsoft has yet to
confirm the reason for the problem, but it's widely attributed to
overheating and poor airflow within the console's innards. Since
admitting to the problem in July 2007,
Microsoft has extended the original 90-day warranty on all newly
purchased 360s to a full year. Additionally, any Xbox 360 that suffers
from a hardware failure marked by three red flashing lights is now
covered for three years from the original purchase date.

Since the middle of 2007, it appears that most Xbox 360s have been manufactured with the so-called "Falcon" CPU,
a 65nm processor that's said to be smaller, cooler, and more energy
efficient than the 90nm version found on earlier 360s. Improved heat
sinks in the consoles have also helped cool down newer units as well.

The upshot is that the newest Xbox 360s should be much more reliable
than their predecessors. We'd seek out an Xbox 360 with HDMI output
when purchasing, both because it's a great feature to have, and because
it's a sign that you've got one of the latest models that have been
manufactured. Of course, if you've already gotten a non-HDMI model, or
a possibly faulty pre-Falcon model, you can at least be confident that
Microsoft's expanded warranty won't leave you stuck with a lemon.

Design

When laid horizontally, the 8.8-pound Xbox 360 is 12.15 inches wide,
3.27 inches high, and 10.15 inches deep, and it's actually slightly
smaller than the original Xbox,
which also weighed in at 8.8 pounds. Unlike the original, the Xbox 360
can be propped up in a vertical position and, as you're probably aware,
can be customized with interchangeble
that cost as much as $20. Custom faceplates aside, it's worth pointing
out that the beige color of the system tends to clash with the silver
and black of typical AV components.

One of the reasons Microsoft was able to keep down the 360's weight is
that instead of building a standard, desktop-style hard drive into the
unit itself, it's gone with a smaller--and more expensive--laptop-style
hard drive that's detachable from the main unit. However, unlike the
PS3, which accepts any standard 2.5-inch laptop drive, the 360's drive
is encased in a proprietary snap-on module. You can upgrade to a larger
120GB Model for around $180--but if you're already interested in that much storage, save some money and just pick up the 120GB Xbox 360 Elite instead.

As part of the $349 bundle, you'll also get a wireless controller--the
360 has built-in wireless capabilities but only for controllers, not
Wi-Fi. Each 360 console can support as many as four wireless
controllers--you'll also like that a green LED on both the 360 itself
and the controller indicates exactly which controllers (1 through 4)
are connected. This is also true if you are playing with a mixture of
wireless and wired controllers; you know who has which controller. All
in all, we really like the design of the controllers. They're a slight
upgrade from those that came with the original Xbox--and they're now
available in several colors, including pink, blue, and black.

On the front of the unit, you'll find two USB ports hidden behind a
hinged door in the faceplate, as well as two memory-card slots that
allow you to take saved games and other content on the go. Those ports
are where you'll plug in any wired controllers and other USB
accessories that will become available, as well as cables to connect a
digital camera, MP3 players, or even your iPod or Sony PSP.
Many USB keyboards are compatible, but for the most part, they are
strictly relegated to communication and data entry functions, not
gameplay. For easier data entry, consider instead the Xbox 360 Messenger Kit, a small keyboard accessory that snaps onto the controller.

The 360 sports an infrared (IR) port on the front panel, which lets you
use compatible remote controls--including nearly any universal
remote--without the need for an external dongle. Furthermore, you can
power the console on and off and open the disc tray with a remote or a
controller--another convenient improvement over the old Xbox. By
contrast, the PS3 lacks standard IR, which limits it to Bluetooth or
Wi-Fi control only.

The Xbox 360 has two big design shortfalls: its oversize power supply
and its incredibly noisy disk drive. The power brick is the largest
you'll ever see on a consumer device--easily half the size of a cinder
block. Meanwhile, the 360's DVD drive often sounds like a helicopter
taking off while you're playing a game--and the system's exhaust fan is
audible as well. All in all, the system is just a lot noisier than it
should be--definitely more so than rival consoles from Nintendo and
Sony.

Video and audio specs

The guts of the Xbox 360 comprise what is, for all intents and
purposes, a very powerful computer. The customized IBM PowerPC CPU
boasts three processing cores running at 3.2GHz each. We could go on
and on about the detailed specifications of the system, but for the
sake of comprehension, we'll hold that back. What you really need to
know about the Xbox 360 in terms of performance though, is its ability
to output HD graphics. Every single Xbox 360 game has been designed to
output at a minimum of 720p, and--if your TV supports it--they can be
upscaled to 1080i or 1080p (just choose your preferred resolution on
the console's settings page). HD output is available via the included
component video cable, or you can supply your own HDMI cable instead.
Alternately, you can pick up VGA video adapters from Microsoft($40) or Joytech ($20), which let you connect to HDTVs and PC monitors that offer a standard 15-pin VGA/RGB connector.

Don't worry if you don't have an HDTV--the Xbox 360's component adapter
includes a fallback composite output, and the system can output
standard 480i resolution with formatting for squarish 4:3
(non-wide-screen) sets.

Just like the old Xbox, the new system offers top-notch Dolby Digital
audio. In-game soundtracks are rendered in full real-time surround,
creating an immersive sound field that envelops you in the game world.
All of the AV cables include an optical audio output, but you'll need
to supply the optical cable, as well as the compatible AV receiver or
home-theater system. Each AV cable also comes with standard analog
stereo connections for connecting to a TV or stereo, but you'll lose
the surround effect, of course. Once again, you can opt to go with HDMI
and have digital video and audio handled by a single cable.

Source: cnet