You could design the next 360 motherboard

[Hedon]

A Microsoft job listing reveals that the company is looking for staff to design a new Xbox 360 motherboard. From the sound of it, the new "Motherboard Design Engineer" will be helping to design further revisions of the existingXbox 360 architecture, rather than the hardware for a next-next-generation system. "The responsibilities of this position are focused on specifying, designing (schematic capture, PCB layout, BOM, cost analysis), implementing and verifying the mother-board and other various sub-system boards that make up the Xbox 360product line," the job description reads.

If you're a qualified electrical engineer and want to do work that may cast you as a hero in the eyes of many, many gamers, this is your chance. Please fix the Xbox 360 motherboard once and for all!

My link

Maybe they could hire Sony?

[coresx]

Did they fire the last guy. Surprised Greenburg hasn't been booted yet. Hope this doesn't mean they are a long time away from doing the Valhalla revision. 45nm or whatever it might be, better cooling, better non jet engine fans. A power brick that isn't massive, I know you never see it when it's behind your set up but it really is far too big for a console.

[Hedon]

Besides their keyboards, mice and controllers, I don't think hardware is Microsoft's forte. Even their previous Zune's were Toshiba designed. I don't know about the ZuneHD however.

It will be interesting to see if they can design Natal properly.

[ToneKnee]

Besides their keyboards, mice and controllers, I don't think hardware is Microsoft's forte. Even their previous Zune's were Toshiba designed. I don't know about the ZuneHD however.

It will be interesting to see if they can design Natal properly.

I disagree, I think Microsoft did okay considering this was their first real console they designed themselves. The next generation of consoles will determine if they should carry on or not. And as for your comment about they should hire Sony. Microsoft are mainly software engineerers and produce quality software. Sony are hardware engineerers and produce quality hardware. When both parties switch roles you can see they aren't really good at it but are learning. At least, that's my point of view on it..

[mr.r9]

If they want a project manager with cost estimating abilities then I'll be more than happy :yes:. However, I am a Civil engineer so... :rofl:

[Hedon]

I disagree, I think Microsoft did okay considering this was their first real console they designed themselves. The next generation of consoles will determine if they should carry on or not. And as for your comment about they should hire Sony. Microsoft are mainly software engineerers and produce quality software. Sony are hardware engineerers and produce quality hardware. When both parties switch roles you can see they aren't really good at it but are learning. At least, that's my point of view on it.

I agree with you that Microsoft did "okay" with the 360 hardware, after numerous revisions though. I was kidding about the Sony comment however. I know that software is MS, and hardware is Sony. It shows. Sony's software on the PS3 is pretty average, while the 360 hardware is pretty average. MS excels at the software side of the console, and Sony excels on the hardware side.

That said, time for a new motherboard it seems!

[Melfster]

Microsoft Keyboards mice, ZuneHD aren't that bad. I think the problem with xbox360 has been they really rushed it out in order to beat Sony by a year.

[coresx]

Microsoft Keyboards mice, ZuneHD aren't that bad. I think the problem with xbox360 has been they really rushed it out in order to beat Sony by a year.

Yea, they definitely rushed it and packing those hot chips with pitiful cooling into a small box was really not well thought out. They were certainly clueless with that and were for a long time after release. I found the incompetence quite astounding. They probably thought it was worth it to beat Sony who was the top dog at the time and they were lucky Sony messed up so badly. I imagine a PS3 with DVD instead of Blu-Ray would have annihilated the 360 especially with all it's hardware woes over the years this generation. Ifs and buts of course.

[M_Lyons10]

I disagree, I think Microsoft did okay considering this was their first real console they designed themselves. The next generation of consoles will determine if they should carry on or not. And as for your comment about they should hire Sony. Microsoft are mainly software engineerers and produce quality software. Sony are hardware engineerers and produce quality hardware. When both parties switch roles you can see they aren't really good at it but are learning. At least, that's my point of view on it..

I have to agree. Microsoft definitely learned a lot with the XBox 360, and it really was a machine that was fairly well conceived... There were issues, but they clearly learned from them as they rectified the problem.

[Mr_Edwardo]

The main issue I have with my 360 is the noise of the thing. I want to love it as a media center hub, and use it to stream all my media to my tv, watch sky on demand etc etc. But I just *can't* get over the fact that it's simply too noisy. If they could bring it down to the noise level of the ps3, I'd probably go straight out and buy a new revision!

[George P Global Moderator]

I think people have it wrong in regards to the Zune, MS design it, toshiba probably helped, just like IBM helped with the 3 core PPC CPU in the 360 BUT, MS designed mosft of that as well. The 360's problems in regards to the RRoD are a mix of two things, one being quick to market so they didn't get enough time to fully test out everything design wise. And second was that they don't have direct control over QC in the factories. MS doesn't own the plants that make the parts or put them together, it's 3rd parties. Sony owns it's own fabs and so on, they have more control over the end to end process.

Still, for something with a bad rep, it's still selling fine, and MS stepped up when it had to and took a hit to repair them for free. I don't think you could ask for more. The truth is the newest hardware revision, while they do still break (everything does) is pretty low, and within the normal standards for something this complicated I think.

On the subject though, it does seem like a redesign for a possible 360 slim/mini or w/e (doubt they'll call it 360 slim, heh.) is looking more and more possible.

[BajiRav]

I think people have it wrong in regards to the Zune, MS design it, toshiba probably helped, just like IBM helped with the 3 core PPC CPU in the 360 BUT, MS designed mosft of that as well. The 360's problems in regards to the RRoD are a mix of two things, one being quick to market so they didn't get enough time to fully test out everything design wise. And second was that they don't have direct control over QC in the factories. MS doesn't own the plants that make the parts or put them together, it's 3rd parties. Sony owns it's own fabs and so on, they have more control over the end to end process.

Still, for something with a bad rep, it's still selling fine, and MS stepped up when it had to and took a hit to repair them for free. I don't think you could ask for more. The truth is the newest hardware revision, while they do still break (everything does) is pretty low, and within the normal standards for something this complicated I think.

On the subject though, it does seem like a redesign for a possible 360 slim/mini or w/e (doubt they'll call it 360 slim, heh.) is looking more and more possible.

The first Zune30 was just a re-badged toshiba player. They made their own from the second generation.

[George P Global Moderator]

The first Zune30 was just a re-badged toshiba player. They made their own from the second generation.

I'll give you that much. But compare the original Zune 30 even though that was good as well, to the 2nd gen and now the ZuneHD. Anyone who says MS can't do hardware imo is pretty clueless. You have to remember anytime a new hardware platform is developed by MS, like with the tablets and even now really, MS makes quite a load of reference hardware that they give to OEMs to build off of and get a good idea.

Just look at the prototype phone for WP7s, those are made by MS and shared with OEMs so they get an idea.

[Sethos]

How hard can it be to throw together some bamboo, duct tape and spit? It'll still be better than what Microsoft have offered in the past.

[George P Global Moderator]

How hard can it be to throw together some bamboo, duct tape and spit? It'll still be better than what Microsoft have offered in the past.

So, does that mean you'll be appling for the job post?

[Hedon]

I just said hardware is not their forte. I never said they couldn't do hardware. They don't have the best hardware record though. They already dumped all their Zune line up (besides Zune HD), the 360 was an RROD nightmare, their networking hardware came and went faster than you could blink. Their Windows Mobile 7 is great software, but Microsoft doesn't have a phone that they actually have made and will be selling. They are supplying the OS and the requirements.

Microsoft is mostly known for keyboards, mice and controllers for "quality" items.

[Sethos]

So, does that mean you'll be appling for the job post?

Yes, yes I will - Expect to see motherboards shaped as a My Little Pony head.

[Hedon]

Yes, yes I will - Expect to see motherboards shaped as a My Little Pony head.

You make me want to be a better man.

[Motoko.]

You make me want to be a better man.

I don't think Microsoft's Xbox Division would be where they are today if Sethos was in charge :rofl:

[M_Lyons10]

I just said hardware is not their forte. I never said they couldn't do hardware. They don't have the best hardware record though. They already dumped all their Zune line up (besides Zune HD), the 360 was an RROD nightmare, their networking hardware came and went faster than you could blink. Their Windows Mobile 7 is great software, but Microsoft doesn't have a phone that they actually have made and will be selling. They are supplying the OS and the requirements.

Microsoft is mostly known for keyboards, mice and controllers for "quality" items.

Well, the Zune HD is a new generation for the Zune, so it would make sense for them to drop the prior generations at that point...

[Hedon]

Well, the Zune HD is a new generation for the Zune, so it would make sense for them to drop the prior generations at that point...

One would think....but MS also had small Zunes...Nano competing, and they dumped those too. They were running with 2 different sized skus.

[George P Global Moderator]

One would think....but MS also had small Zunes...Nano competing, and they dumped those too. They were running with 2 different sized skus.

You go where the market takes you, as we've seen the Zune devices have, with the HD, morphed into a smartphone without the phone. People wanted a bigger screen and touch, so the smaller 2nd gen Zunes which were mostly god for just music, are gone now.

I think the ZuneHD2 will have a bigger screen, i'm going to guess 4" or 4.2" like the HTC HD2 phone does.

[M_Lyons10]

You go where the market takes you, as we've seen the Zune devices have, with the HD, morphed into a smartphone without the phone. People wanted a bigger screen and touch, so the smaller 2nd gen Zunes which were mostly god for just music, are gone now.

I think the ZuneHD2 will have a bigger screen, i'm going to guess 4" or 4.2" like the HTC HD2 phone does.

Yes, absolutely. And the smaller Zune devices were also not in the Zune HD's generation... So my point is still valid... They dropped a prior generation to come out with a new one. That's fairly common in tech... And I think you're right too. The Zune has done a lot to try to meed customer's wants and it's right now a very nice device. I'm going to wait for a WP7 device just because I think it makes sense, but Zune HD is very solid...