[update] New Xbox Dashboard preview now avaiable

[Hedon]

Spent quite a bit of time with it last night. I keep finding new things, and the beacons are sweet. Seems so much faster and more efficient.

[Jan Veteran]

Really nice and simple to use currently, only things I don't like is that parts of the old dashboard are still in there, that is all :shiftyninja:

[Smashing Pumpkin]

Knew what to expect, but it's just pretty ****ty to be honest..

New features? Bing.. doesn't even search the web..

[George P Global Moderator]

Why would Bing on the 360 search the web when you can't do anything with those results? That makes no sense. There's no browser so a web search is pointless. It searches what it's suppose to, that's content on the Live service itself be it games, music or video.

[~Johnny]

Knew what to expect, but it's just pretty ****ty to be honest..

New features? Bing.. doesn't even search the web..

It's more of a marketing branding name than actually Bing...

[BajiRav]

I need to spend more time on this but I am already half-hating this new design. I love the metro layout but the way those tiles are designed, my Xbox now feels like one giant ****ing billboard of ads. I was in the camp "ad don't bother me much" (that was true) but in this dash puts ads before usability. :/ I would say more with screenshots if not for the NDA but as it stands now...I ****ing hate the new dashboard for non-gaming uses of Xbox 360.

On a more positive note: Scrolling friends list gave me a good laugh last night. I think I will smile everytime I do that in future.

[Ayepecks]

I don't want to break NDA, but I will say I wish Neowin had a "disagree" button ;)

[NoLiMiT06]

I love the dash, can't wait for the "other" stuff to be added :D

[ACTIONpack]

I haven't gotten it yet

[Hedon]

Ads? Where are all these ads you see? I have only one ad on mine. A Chevrolet Volt commercial.

[NoLiMiT06]

Does anyone else see this when going to the Connect page?

Page Not Found

The content that you requested cannot be found or you do not have permission to view it.

If you believe you have reached this page in error, click the Help link at the top of the page to report the issue and include this ID in your e-mail:

Microsoft Connect welcome page.

[philcruicks]

Yeah there is an advert section on one bit of mine, I like it but it doesn't seem to use up much of the screen...a lot of wasted space.

[Xerax]

Yeah there is an advert section on one bit of mine, I like it but it doesn't seem to use up much of the screen...a lot of wasted space.

Rather a clean open space than cluttered crap. And iOS has alot of wasted space on iPad, nobody complains about that "innovation" though.

[+Ryster Subscriber²]

Does anyone else see this when going to the Connect page?

Maybe you've been kicked from the program or something? ;)

[NoLiMiT06]

Nope I have my dash and everything :p

Works now.

[KomaWei]

I actually like the Metro dashboard. The only complaint (I don't know, if it's due to the dashboard, or what) is that I couldn't connect to my friend's party. Also, what happened to the messenger for msn?

[NoLiMiT06]

I actually like the Metro dashboard. The only complaint (I don't know, if it's due to the dashboard, or what) is that I couldn't connect to my friend's party. Also, what happened to the messenger for msn?

I have had no issues connecting with my little brother who is still on the old dash, could be a NAT issue.

[George P Global Moderator]

The "wasted space" arguments are funny ones, I honestly don't get why we need to fill up every last bit of the screen with some bit of UI chrome just for the sake of not having empty spots? I mean why? It's a old and tired UI idea, the fact is that less is better today and I agree with this new thinking.

[(Spork)]

new dashboard is nice i like the improvements so far

[philcruicks]

The "wasted space" arguments are funny ones, I honestly don't get why we need to fill up every last bit of the screen with some bit of UI chrome just for the sake of not having empty spots? I mean why? It's a old and tired UI idea, the fact is that less is better today and I agree with this new thinking.

Its not so much about just putting more on for the sake of it (I agree, more minimalist UI's are the way forward, proven time and again, iphone, ipad, WP7 etc..., but why not make things just a bit bigger, I like the style of the new dash don't get me wrong, it looks really nice...just small. WP7 and Win8 use most of the display and they're running a metro style, this dash doesn't quite follow that.

[neoadorable]

thanks for the backup Mathachew and Soldier...and oceanmotion, i'll put that down to a momentary lapse in plain politeness, it was really uncalled for.

can't wait for the new dashboard to roll over here, you guys saying it's been deployed?

[philcruicks]

thanks for the backup Mathachew and Soldier...and oceanmotion, i'll put that down to a momentary lapse in plain politeness, it was really uncalled for.

can't wait for the new dashboard to roll over here, you guys saying it's been deployed?

If your in the preview program then yeah, mine just auto updated the other day when I turned my xbox on. Public release won't be for a little while though.

[Smashing Pumpkin]

Horrible interface really, hard to see sometimes where everything is, so many tiles and such meagre indication of which one is currently selected. Then the ads are right up in your face biggest things you see, not the same size as the squares on the nxe but bigger!

Would happily go back if I could and first time I've ever felt like that about a dashboard update. Ah well, s'just a console UI :D

[threetonesun]

I'm not going to say anything, but I think there are going to be more updates before the public release. Just a guess.

Is anyone else using this with Kinect, or is everyone controller only?

[Ayepecks]

I'm not going to say anything, but I think there are going to be more updates before the public release. Just a guess.

Is anyone else using this with Kinect, or is everyone controller only?

Using both.