Microsoft: Xbox 360 S The Best Box We've Ever Built

[Hedon]

It's smaller, shinier, and back in black: Microsoft's new Xbox 360 took many by surprise at E3 this June, though some of us had speculated for months that a 'slim' model was in the works. More than just a component and size shrink, Microsoft added 802.11n wireless (previously a $100 external USB adapter) and packed in its premier 250GB hard drive without adjusting the standard system's $300 price tag. What changed inside and why? How'd they make it quieter? Will t really reduce your electric bill? And why does it automatically shut down if it gets too warm? I spoke with Microsoft's Senior Director of Xbox Product Management, Albert Penello, to find out. (The first part of the interview is here.)

My link

One of the better interviews I have read from MS in a long time. The guy actually answered the questions without doing the run around.

[Ayepecks]

The best box I ever made was when I was four. It was also a rocket ship, a fire engine, a submarine, a house, a jail, a...

[BigHoss]

The best box I ever made was when I was four. It was also a rocket ship, a fire engine, a submarine, a house, a jail, a...

lol mine was a fort

[Chicane-UK Veteran]

Really interesting read. Always good to get straight to the people in the know and hear this kind of stuff rather than having it washed through the usual marketing bull**** filter. Would love to hear similar interviews from designers of other products for big products / companies!

Thanks for the link!

[ViZioN]

Really interesting read. Always good to get straight to the people in the know and hear this kind of stuff rather than having it washed through the usual marketing bull**** filter. Would love to hear similar interviews from designers of other products for big products / companies!

Thanks for the link!

Agreed I quite like hearing about what things go through their minds when they're making design decisions although this one isn't really technical.

[rajputwarrior]

good read (Y)

[bjoswald]

It's an upgrade all right, but what took them so long? This stuff should've been done the first time.

[Elliot B.]

Good read (Y)

[rajputwarrior]

It's an upgrade all right, but what took them so long? This stuff should've been done the first time.

that's what happens when you have retarded monkeys engineering the thing so you can get it out a year before sony or nintendo release their hardware

[MikeChipshop Member]

Nice read, good to see it stating some obvious things that many nay-sayers overlook

[George P Global Moderator]

It's an upgrade all right, but what took them so long? This stuff should've been done the first time.

Costs for one and probably the fact that they took longer in testing the new design compared to the old one to make sure noise, heat and the whole RRoD issues got taken care of.

Off the bat I and others who have an S can tell you that noise is pretty much gone, I could hear my original for the most part though it didn't bother me like it did others, though now with the S I have to get right next to eat and put my ear up close to hear the big fan working. Even when a disc is in the drive spinning away I still can't hear it that well without getting close. To me MS has done a great job with noise and heat, mine doesn't let out much heat at all compared to my original one, and they're both in the same location (on my desk which is a few feet away from my TV (studio apartment etc) so it's not in some sorta cabinet.

I expect this new design to go strong and win over some gamers who were scared away by the RRoD issues.

[Sethos]

Yeah, they did an awesome job ... except the fact I had to push a bit on the top fittings as my case was rattling when drive was spinning xD

[M_Lyons10]

That's a very good interview. Very interesting. :)

[what]

That was actually better than I was expecting. I'm not necessarily a technical person but I find this sort of detail much more interesting to read about than your typical promotional bumf, and it is actually starting to convince me to upgrade to a slim model.

[DrunknMunky Veteran]

though some of us had speculated for months that a 'slim' model was in the works.

Nein, try years. :p

[The Teej]

It's an upgrade all right, but what took them so long? This stuff should've been done the first time.

I hate it when people say that.

The Valhalla chip would have cost hundreds to make and even more R&D costs, it would have boosted the 360 launch price to well over PS3 costs. Plus, wireless G would have added even more additional costs to it (they didn't even have wireless adapters out on the 360 launch IIRC).

The reason why it's been done NOW instead of THEN is due to technical progression.

[Sethos]

I hate it when people say that.

The Valhalla chip would have cost hundreds to make and even more R&D costs, it would have boosted the 360 launch price to well over PS3 costs. Plus, wireless G would have added even more additional costs to it (they didn't even have wireless adapters out on the 360 launch IIRC).

The reason why it's been done NOW instead of THEN is due to technical progression.

Well said (Y)

[Ayepecks]

I hate it when people say that.

The Valhalla chip would have cost hundreds to make and even more R&D costs, it would have boosted the 360 launch price to well over PS3 costs. Plus, wireless G would have added even more additional costs to it (they didn't even have wireless adapters out on the 360 launch IIRC).

The reason why it's been done NOW instead of THEN is due to technical progression.

What do you think you're doing bringing logic into the equation?! GTFO :angry:

[George P Global Moderator]

What do you think you're doing bringing logic into the equation?! GTFO :angry:

Haha, so true.

[neoadorable]

nice article, and though i'm very happy with the redesign so far, i do have a couple complaints. first off, did they have to make the touch buttons so damn sensitive? i mean you don't even have to touch them, merely moving something in front results in activation. second, the chiming...that's really annoying, as they're freakin loud. i don't want my console yodelling every time i do something, so i'm forced to do everything through the controller. at least give us a way to turn those off. the person who thought of adding those chimes...seriously, you belong in the same support group as the genius who concocted the ring of light.

[scokem]

That was a good read - nice find AWBrian (Y)

As for the redesign, I think it's fantastic with what they've achieved and couldn't be happier except for maybe being able to turn off the chimes when using the touch buttons - I keep forgetting to use the pad of a night-time and then the second I touch the button, "BING!", I've woke the house up :p

[torrentthief]

meh, just give us the next gen xbox console with 1080p 60fps 3D capable HDMI 1.4b/1.5 (whichever will support 60fps for 3D 1080p). USB3 ports and maybe even the upcoming lightpeak standard. Make it more of a multimedia centre that it should be and of course use Bluray or BDXL (100GB+ i think). BDXL would hamper pirating as there would be very few readers/writers out there and standalone players.

[what]

meh, just give us the next gen xbox console with 1080p 60fps 3D capable HDMI 1.4b/1.5 (whichever will support 60fps for 3D 1080p). USB3 ports and maybe even the upcoming lightpeak standard. Make it more of a multimedia centre that it should be and of course use Bluray or BDXL (100GB+ i think). BDXL would hamper pirating as there would be very few readers/writers out there and standalone players.

All brilliant ideas to push the cost of the hardware well out of many people's reach for no real reason...

[George P Global Moderator]

All brilliant ideas to push the cost of the hardware well out of many people's reach for no real reason...

Haha, ya, I mean do we really need another repeat of "$599 dollars!!!!!!" At some future E3?

[neoadorable]

yes, we do, that's how things get pushed forward - and it doesn't have to be $600, the PS2 was a huge leap over the PS1 a mere five years apart, and it only retailed for $300 at first - and yes, i remember even that was a big deal, people complained that it wasn't $249 or something like that. ahh good old 2000.