Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

the XBox had more to do with game selection, really, and in that the XBox excels.

GAMES: The XBox's library of games is unparalleled right now. There are many incredible XBox exclusive titles, from the obvious Halo 3 to games like Bioshock, Forza 2, and Gears of War (and this is a very small sampling of what's actually out there). I'm not impressed with the PS3's game library, and while I couldn't live without my Nintendo franchises like Zelda, Mario, and Metroid I'm finding myself craving more games beyond the party type games (which the Wii is great for) and Nintendo's own titles.

XBOX LIVE: The Xbox's online community is second to none right now, and while I can see promise for both Sony and Nintendo in this area neither system offers as much as the XBox does at the time of this writing. Aside from the enormous and well-established community, the XBox live marketplace offers classic games, TV shows, and movies for download, as well as game trailers and demos and a whole lotta other stuff. I love being able to download so many demos of games I might like to try--it saves on some rental fees for sure--and I'm looking forward to picking up some classic games like Contra and the incredible Castlevania: Symphony of the Night soon. I wouldn't say the classic game library rivals Nintendo's Virtual Console yet (not even close, really), but there are some great games nonetheless.

THE HARDWARE: The XBox elite is black, which I personally prefer to the white. It has an HDMI port and comes with a cord, so it's capable of full 1080p HD. I also love the 120 GB hard drive--though I've never been one to fill a game console's hard drive it's nice to know I have the space, and with all the game demos and other things I've been downloading it may become a possibility. The Elite also functions as a DVD player with upconverting capability, and the quality I get from playing a DVD on my XBox is incredible, so much so that I'm not using my old DVD player anymore for regular DVDs.

Hardware reliability has been a concern, and was something that really held me back for a while. Following were a couple of my major concerns and this is how the Xbox 360 has handled them:

-Noise. My 360 is much quieter than many reviews led me to believe. My wife doesn't know its on unless she's in the same room.
-Heat. This was a big one for me. I don't have space to keep the console upright--it has to be on its side--and I've heard horror stories of overheating after very little play. The console has about 18 inches behind it for ventilation and seems to run just fine, though I haven't had it on for more than about 3 hours at a time. There's a lot of heat coming out the back of it but the console itself doesn't seem to heat up much. When it's really hot outside I keep an upright fan blowing the general direction of my TV (where the Xbox is) and plan on getting a cooling system just to be safe, but so far heat has not really been an issue for me.
-Ruining discs - I've heard of the console scratching discs beyond playability and also of cracking. My console lays on its side and I don't move it while a disc is playing, and so far I've had no issues, though I haven't used it enough to say it will never happen.
-Red Ring of Death - Again, no problems yet. The 3 year warranty helps, though the prospect of not having the thing for a couple months while they fix it brings my blood almost to a boil just thinking about it.

Overall I'm tremendously happy with my XBox 360, and my only real concern with it is the potential for hardware failure. Still, this is a great machine, and definitely worth the price tag for me. I'm disappointed that wireless capability was not included in the console (it's a pretty expensive add-on), since both the Wii and the PS3 have that built in. Since I have an HD TV I'd love to have a built in HD-DVD player, but I think it was a wise choice not to force it upon people who don't want it by building it into the machine.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

to PS3's XMB and PS Store, the XB menus are a bit cluttered and confusing.

- Fear of RRoD, but hopefully with this newer model (manufactured Mar 2008) there won't be any problems.

- You can't copy anything to your hard drive from an external device, like flash drive or hard drive. You have to download everything from the Marketplace.

- No built-in rechargeable battery pack on controller. You have to either get rechargeable batteries or buy that play and charge pack. I had a bunch of rechargeable NIMH AAs already, so I'll be using those.

- No wireless?! This is a $450 console and there's no wireless. That's what I love about the PS3- it has two wires - power and HDMI, that's it. You could get the ridiculously overpriced proprietary MS wireless adapter for $100 or spend $5 on a long ethernet cable (I'm doing the latter). I want my router to be near my computer, not my console.

- Most themes and wallpapers cost money. No thanks to the micro-transactions.

I'm generally happy with it. Can't wait to play more games on it!

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

games I have downloaded are really fun. You can use a credit card to download games or you can buy an xbox live card. The only one I ever saw was for 1600 points and cost like 20 dollars. A lot of the games on this system can be bought for the PS3 or the Wii. I have a Wii, but not a ps3. The graphics are great, though not as good as the TV makes them look. I have only played one game that came close to looking like TV made them look. I mean the only way you will get the full expierence is if you own a high def, flat screen TV with surround sound. I don't have either of these. I'm not going to pay so much more for a TV in my bed room. The games still look pretty good without the high def though.

Now I know I have said a lot of good things about the system, and I'm sure you thinking "why the 2 out of 5?" Well I'll tell you why. I got my first xbox 360 from a whole sale place in 05. It had red rings and stopped working. I sent it to Microsoft and sold it on amazon when it was fixed. So that's 1. Then I got a new xbox 360 elite. In 06 it broke, and I exchanged it at the store I bought it from. That's 2. That one broke a little while latter and I exchanged it for a new one. That's 3. Just to make things short, I just exchanged the one I had for another one. That is SEVEN OR EIGHT! I exchanged one 3 weeks ago and it already broke. I only play the system for like 6 hours in a 2 week period. If I had not just bought Lego Indiana jones and my mother brought me Ninja Gaiden 2, I would have sold the new system and everything with it for 800 dollars. It's not worth having to drive to the store and exchange it. The store is only 10 minutes away but I can not drive and gas is WAY to much to have to do such a stupid thing. Microsoft obviously can't and didn't make a good quality system that would last. I still have my ps and ps2. They both still work. Hell I have an NES my uncle gave me and that still works. I will never buy another xbox 360 game. Unless, after I rent it it's really supper fun and I really want to play. I was thinking about buying a ps3 today but I said "forget it." I will keep my xbox 360. I have to pay like 30 dollars for a new warranty next month. That is the only reason I will do so. If you get the system, I warn you. Get the warranty, because it WILL break, and you Will have to return it time and time again. I am going to write to the news and some game magazines about how bad and unreliable it is. Shame on you Microsoft.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

games I have downloaded are really fun. You can use a credit card to download games or you can buy an xbox live card. The only one I ever saw was for 1600 points and cost like 20 dollars. A lot of the games on this system can be bought for the PS3 or the Wii. I have a Wii, but not a ps3. The graphics are great, though not as good as the TV makes them look. I have only played one game that came close to looking like TV made them look. I mean the only way you will get the full expierence is if you own a high def, flat screen TV with surround sound. I don't have either of these. I'm not going to pay so much more for a TV in my bed room. The games still look pretty good without the high def though.



Now I know I have said a lot of good things about the system, and I'm sure you thinking "why the 2 out of 5?" Well I'll tell you why. I got my first xbox 360 from a whole sale place in 05. It had red rings and stopped working. I sent it to Microsoft and sold it on amazon when it was fixed. So that's 1. Then I got a new xbox 360 elite. In 06 it broke, and I exchanged it at the store I bought it from. That's 2. That one broke a little while latter and I exchanged it for a new one. That's 3. Just to make things short, I just exchanged the one I had for another one. That is SEVEN OR EIGHT! I exchanged one 3 weeks ago and it already broke. I only play the system for like 6 hours in a 2 week period. If I had not just bought Lego Indiana jones and my mother brought me Ninja Gaiden 2, I would have sold the new system and everything with it for 800 dollars. It's not worth having to drive to the store and exchange it. The store is only 10 minutes away but I can not drive and gas is WAY to much to have to do such a stupid thing. Microsoft obviously can't and didn't make a good quality system that would last. I still have my ps and ps2. They both still work. Hell I have an NES my uncle gave me and that still works. I will never buy another xbox 360 game. Unless, after I rent it it's really supper fun and I really want to play. I was thinking about buying a ps3 today but I said "forget it." I will keep my xbox 360. I have to pay like 30 dollars for a new warranty next month. That is the only reason I will do so. If you get the system, I warn you. Get the warranty, because it WILL break, and you Will have to return it time and time again. I am going to write to the news and some game magazines about how bad and unreliable it is. Shame on you Microsoft.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

games I have downloaded are really fun. You can use a credit card to download games or you can buy an xbox live card. The only one I ever saw was for 1600 points and cost like 20 dollars. A lot of the games on this system can be bought for the PS3 or the Wii. I have a Wii, but not a ps3. The graphics are great, though not as good as the TV makes them look. I have only played one game that came close to looking like TV made them look. I mean the only way you will get the full expierence is if you own a high def, flat screen TV with surround sound. I don't have either of these. I'm not going to pay so much more for a TV in my bed room. The games still look pretty good without the high def though.





Now I know I have said a lot of good things about the system, and I'm sure you thinking "why the 2 out of 5?" Well I'll tell you why. I got my first xbox 360 from a whole sale place in 05. It had red rings and stopped working. I sent it to Microsoft and sold it on amazon when it was fixed. So that's 1. Then I got a new xbox 360 elite. In 06 it broke, and I exchanged it at the store I bought it from. That's 2. That one broke a little while latter and I exchanged it for a new one. That's 3. Just to make things short, I just exchanged the one I had for another one. That is SEVEN OR EIGHT! I exchanged one 3 weeks ago and it already broke. I only play the system for like 6 hours in a 2 week period. If I had not just bought Lego Indiana jones and my mother brought me Ninja Gaiden 2, I would have sold the new system and everything with it for 800 dollars. It's not worth having to drive to the store and exchange it. The store is only 10 minutes away but I can not drive and gas is WAY to much to have to do such a stupid thing. Microsoft obviously can't and didn't make a good quality system that would last. I still have my ps and ps2. They both still work. Hell I have an NES my uncle gave me and that still works. I will never buy another xbox 360 game. Unless, after I rent it it's really supper fun and I really want to play. I was thinking about buying a ps3 today but I said "forget it." I will keep my xbox 360. I have to pay like 30 dollars for a new warranty next month. That is the only reason I will do so. If you get the system, I warn you. Get the warranty, because it WILL break, and you Will have to return it time and time again. I am going to write to the news and some game magazines about how bad and unreliable it is. Shame on you Microsoft.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

have purchased for the Xbox instead of the Playstation. This is because of the enchantment of the Xbox "Achievement" scoring system, rewarding the player with (unfortunately useless) global points for making various accomplishments in every Xbox 360 title.

I have begun researching the PS3's "barely used" resale value.

Besides playing games - and there are tons to choose from - the Xbox is well-built to use the internet. Though I myself am not a big online-gaming enthusiast, I can still use it to upgrade games, download visual content for background themes and the like. I have even begun downloading TV shows. The system allows you to establish 1-on-1 chat rooms, which I use often to talk to my brother who lives cross-country. We can catch up on current events while playing two different games. The PS3 allows you to chat, but you can't do anything else while chatting.

Unfortunately, the Elite has one major limitation. In fact, the feature that makes this system "Elite" is it's biggest drawback - the 120 gb harddrive. My PS3 only has 40 gb's, and I've already packed it with MP3's and movies (honestly - what else is it good for??) What drew me to purchase the Elite Xbox (besides it's black color which blends much better into home-entertainment setups) was it's large storage capability. However, Microsoft has made it impossible to download or copy any music content onto the Harddrive. The only way to import music is to "burn" it from a CD. Obviously the intent here is to discourage piracy, but it has also alienated any iTunes subscribers or the like. I probably would have been just as happy with a standard Xbox 360. I still have over 100 gigs available!

Thus the benefit of the Elite is to be able to download lots of game content, pictures, videos, etc. This comes at a cost, as very few of these downloads are free. Take that into consideration before you buy.

System malfunctions seem to be rare - a few game crashes here and there. I am sympathetic to earlier owners of malfunctioning systems. As of this writing, May 2008, I'd say you'd be "good to go" buying one of these systems.

Microsoft I apologize. I've complained about a fair amount of money I've given you over the years, but I have to confess - you did this one right. I look forward to many, many more hours of hardcore, balls-to-the-wall gaming.

Look for me online - my gamertag is "Vipera Raddei!"

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

loud disk drive. I'm sitting about eleven feet away so I found that to be incredibly annoying. But when it comes down to it, it is a minor gripe. Everyone kept telling me how much better the 360 was then the PS3, but in my opinion, they are just different. I chose to buy a PS3 first because I knew that blu-ray would win out and I like watching my favorite films in high definition glory.

So when it comes down to it, I'm very glad I purchased a Xbox 360. I'm also glad I purchased a PS3. Both pieces of technology should keep buyers happy for years to come, as I know I am.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

loud disk drive. I'm sitting about eleven feet away so I found that to be incredibly annoying. But when it comes down to it, it is a minor gripe. Everyone kept telling me how much better the 360 was then the PS3, but in my opinion, they are just different. I chose to buy a PS3 first because I knew that blu-ray would win out and I like watching my favorite films in high definition glory.



So when it comes down to it, I'm very glad I purchased a Xbox 360. I'm also glad I purchased a PS3. Both pieces of technology should keep buyers happy for years to come, as I know I am.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

loud disk drive. I'm sitting about eleven feet away so I found that to be incredibly annoying. But when it comes down to it, it is a minor gripe. Everyone kept telling me how much better the 360 was then the PS3, but in my opinion, they are just different. I chose to buy a PS3 first because I knew that blu-ray would win out and I like watching my favorite films in high definition glory.





So when it comes down to it, I'm very glad I purchased a Xbox 360. I'm also glad I purchased a PS3. Both pieces of technology should keep buyers happy for years to come, as I know I am.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

loud disk drive. I'm sitting about eleven feet away so I found that to be incredibly annoying. But when it comes down to it, it is a minor gripe. Everyone kept telling me how much better the 360 was then the PS3, but in my opinion, they are just different. I chose to buy a PS3 first because I knew that blu-ray would win out and I like watching my favorite films in high definition glory.







So when it comes down to it, I'm very glad I purchased a Xbox 360. I'm also glad I purchased a PS3. Both pieces of technology should keep buyers happy for years to come, as I know I am.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

but it's not as frequent as the older versions. Just make sure the production date is sometime this year and the team location is FDOU. Also make sure that the Xbox is in a well ventilated area!

I ended up getting lot #0805, Team: FDOU, production date 1/27/2008.

By the way, 1.5yrs later my old 360 premium that I sold to my friend got the RROD. It took about 3 days to get the packing materials from Microsoft and 8 business days later they sent us a refurbished Xbox 360 and that's been working well so far.

Pros: Black finish, 120gb Hard Drive, HDMI output, HDMI cable, Falcon Chipset, 3yr warranty, Xbox Live
Cons: No built in Wi-Fi and DVD drive is a bit loud when reading disc.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

The Six Axis just feels too light and gimmicky.

As for games, the Xbox 360 has a good variety for such a new system, and all 360 games are programmed with Xbox Live in mind, making it possible to give game invites and chat with any friend, no matter which game they are playing. The PS3 doesn't do this, but games are purely a matter of opinion. Both systems have games that should make them worth having...( Metal Gear Solid 4 and Gears of War). I do know that I will be getting Grand Theft Auto 4 for the Xbox 360 because of the extra downloadable content in the form of 2 extra storylines that won't appear to be going to the PS3, and for the achievement points. Achievement points are an ingenious idea implemented into every 360 game that compells most people to get the most out of their games.

As for interactivity, the 360 gets the nod, for now. I downloaded the PS3 eyetoy video, and saw that it's possible to video chat with up to 6 people. I do wish the Xbox 360 could do that.

As for the hardware itself, the PS3 is a better put together unit, with a more expensive look and feel to it...besides the controller. The PS3 is quiet, and the Xbox 360 is not. It's hum annoys some people, however, this is no problem if you have surround sound or turn up the TV volume.

As for reliability, the PS3 wins that hands down. I've had my original Xbox 360 premium ( yes, I have an Elite w/ HDMI also) replaced 3 times. I hope MS has fixed the problem with RROD. On the bright side, I've never had to pay anything for a refurbished unit, and now MS gives 3 year warranties as standard for the 360. come to think of it, if I actually turned on and played the PS3 as much as I do the Xbox, the PS3 may have broke too. Who knows.

The wireless adaptor should be $20- $30 or be included.

With all of this said, the Xbox 360 is the better gaming experience out of the two, in my humble opinion. My friends who have both seem to agree. I turn on my 360 everyday. The PS3 gets turned on to update it, or to watch an occasional Blu Ray movie. The PS3 should have good exclusive games coming soon, yet Xbox 360 has them now.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

far as usability and online capability, Xbox Live is heads-and-tails above the competition. Microsoft did do a very nice job of system-wide integration of this service.

The only real issue I have with the 360 is excluding the wireless adapter from being built-in. I realize it is an accessory, but my guess is most people don't have CAT5e running through their house to behind their entertainment center. It's a minor gripe, it's more of a convenience issue than anything.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

far as usability and online capability, Xbox Live is heads-and-tails above the competition. Microsoft did do a very nice job of system-wide integration of this service.



The only real issue I have with the 360 is excluding the wireless adapter from being built-in. I realize it is an accessory, but my guess is most people don't have CAT5e running through their house to behind their entertainment center. It's a minor gripe, it's more of a convenience issue than anything.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

of a gaming system??? I find the controller to feel flimsy, and the console to run EXTREMELY LOUD, even when I am not playing a disc

Wii - I find the Wii to be a great system, a pleasant surprise given that it did not go the way of the XBox/PS3 (graphics). I think it is a must have, it makes for great fun when you have people over, and I have found people who would never play a video game will be bowling/boxing, etc... to the Wii in no time. It is also great for Children because a) the graphics are not as hardcore or intense as other systems and b) it forces kids to get up and move around, a nice departure from kids just staring at the tv looking like zombies. Also, the price of the Wii and games is much more affordable than other systems. My one caution for the Wii, it is only a matter of time before the other consoles adopt this motion sensor technology. The Wii has a huge disadvantage in graphics, and no Hi Def DVD player, so if they do not stay ahead of the curve with unique game play, they could be in trouble

XBox 360 - I am extremely impressed with the XBox 360. Prior to getting the system I already had a laundry list of games to get (Bio Shock, Mass Effect, Halo 3, etc...). I would say a must have for any hard core gamer. I have not found the system to run too loud (PS3 much louder). Although I have not had any problems and have only owned my XBox 360 for 2 months, I have read a lot of complaints about reliability, so keep that in mind.

Media Center - If you are looking for a media center, obviously the Wii is not the choice. This leaves the Xbox and PS3 (I also own an Apple TV).

Apple TV - makes a good paper weight. It has the potential to be so much more if not two flaws. The first flaw is the Photo Playback. You cannot thumb through your photos, you have to view them as a slide show. This can be increasingly annoying if you are looking for 1 specific picture but have to sit through a slide show of nearly hundreds to find. The second flaw, which I find is a huge problem, is the file compatibility of video files. In true Apple form, you can only watch their specific formatted video. This will force you to spend countless hours converting files, an absolute waste of time and hard drive space. Apple is advertising a new move download service, but supposedly movies won't be available until 30 days after they have been released on DVD, sounds like a real winner........

PS3 - The PS3 comes with a built in Blu Ray player, and the ability to stream media from your computer. I have found the streaming to be very choppy and unreliable (both PS3 and Xbox 360 are hard wired to my network via powerline). The PS3 consistently loses connection to my computer, and the only way I can watch videos from my computer is to actually save them to the PS3 as the streaming is too unreliable. As for the Blu Ray player, it appears that Blu Ray is going to win out as I think now both Warner Bros and Wal Mart are no longer supporting HD-DVD. As a Blu Ray player, the picture looks great and I have no complaints. System runs too loud though after about 30 minutes of use

Xbox 360 - I have found the media streaming to be excellent. I never have a hiccup streaming music/movies/photos. The one knock I hear is that Microsoft supports HD-DVD, which is dying. As opposed to PS3, the HD-DVD player is actually a separate drive that you must purchase. This may actually work out to Microsoft's advantage, if HD-DVD does die out, then they can just make a Blu Ray external drive. For PS3, the drive is already built in, so you had better hope Blu Ray wins. Microsoft, if you are listening to me, the solution is simple, create a Hi Def drive that supports both Blu Ray and HD-DVD. That in itself I think will get a lot more customers to purchase the Xbox 360, because unfortunately now if you are looking for a Hi Def player, I think you have to lean towards the PS3 with Blu Ray.

Also note, both Xbox 360 and PS3 support divx(mpeg2/avi) files, which is a huge plus.

So, as you can see I found pros and cons with each system. If you are looking for an all in one media center/gaming console, then I have to recommend the Xbox. If you want to go a little bit easier on your wallet, then the Wii is the way to go. I wouldn't ignore the PS3 as I am sure Sony realizes they need to step it up, I would just wait for signs that all these future predictions are finally coming true.

UPDATE - Toshiba just announced that they are pulling out of the HD-DVD market. This pretty much signals the death of HD-DVD. Let's hope Microsoft wakes up and gets a Blu Ray player for the XBox, otherwise this is a HUGE advantage for PS3.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

lot of downloadable content on my machine, while others may.
... By a total accident, I lucked out and this is the only model that has HDMI, or at least at the time. So, when I bought my HDTV and nice receiver, it was the perfect fit and I get a much sharper image than I would have with the regular model.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

never encountered such complete disregard for the customer.

BEWARE!

Bought an Elite 360 in June. Loved it. Three months later three red rings of death. Now is where I start getting upset:

Oct 12 - Call into Xbox Support for Repair
Oct 17 - Receive Box to Ship Console from Microsoft
Oct 17 - Ship out Xbox
Oct 20 - Dallas Repair Center Receives my Xbox
Oct 26 - Call for Status - Told "Being Repaired"
Oct 30 - Call for Status - Told "Being Repaired"
Nov 2 - Call for Status - Told "We have 12 business days to repair"
Nov 6 - Call for status - Told "Escalated to Mgmt - will call you within 48 hours"
Nov 8 - Been 48 hours - No Call. Called again. Stayed on the line until received Senior Tech Support Manager. Told "We have Four Business Weeks from time we receive your console to repair it" Will receive call back in 24 hours.
Nov 9 - No Call Back. Been Four Business Weeks. No Xbox. No status. Not even repaired, shipped, tracked. NOTHING! It's lost. No call back

I wrote a letter to Microsoft today documenting everything with names and times.

This is a three month old Elite. I don't mind that it died. I knew that going in. What I do mind is that I've been without my console for FOUR WEEKS with no status and no hope of status.

By contract, they have 12 business days to repair it. Nobody will tell me what the next step is once they breach that.

They have four business weeks to get you a console from the time you first call in. That date has officially passed as of today.

I have been without Xbox Live for a month, my son's birthday is tomorrow and he can't play his Lego Star Wars Complete Saga that he will receive for a present (he's four years old and will be sick about it).

I can't get anything from Microsoft support. It's all outsourced to India and they are extremely protective about any kind of escalation.

My next step is calling American Express and getting a refund for the console. They breached their contract and are unwilling to work with me. I dread doing it but I know that Amex will come through. I've used them once before and they were great about researching everything and negating a large purchase.

My wife's brand new MacBook lost it's motherboard after one month. She called Apple support. Box fed-ex overnight, went in that night, they received it next day - repaired it on the spot - sent it out that day - we received it next day. Total down time from first call? FOUR DAYS!

This is four weeks now and unacceptable. I feel I have no recourse other than venting on every forum and review site possible so that others are aware of this.

Looks like I'll call Amex.

Sorry for the rant but these guys are unreasonable and don't care.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

if there is just 1 episode you loved in some show and wanted to see it without buying the whole season then that is pretty good.

The 360 can also be networked with all of your windows pcs... very nice. Overall the 360 is a great buy. To run games like this you would need to buy a 4000 dollar PC.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

felt warm to the touch.

If you already own the 360, I don't recommend purchasing this as an "upgrade". But if you don't own a 360 yet, or are thinking about purchasing one this Christmas for anyone, I HIGHLY recommend purchasing the Elite.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

offered it with the add-on HD-DVD player (itself discounted to only $149.99 in the deal, not to mention the mail-in which offers five free HD-DVD movies), along with a free copy of "300" HD-DVD/DVD combo included. As the add-on player already includes the remote control (unlike PS3, which requires you to buy a bluetooth remote separately) and King Kong HD-DVD, I couldn't resist. After playing a few games and watching a few movies, I have to say that the Xbox 360 really is the best Next-Gen console currently on the market.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

cameras for a true multi-media experience.

The interchangeable faceplate and personalized menus allow you to personalize your system and truly make it your own.

However, The Elite does not correct most of the inconveniences of the Xbox 360 version:
- The DVD drive and the cooling fan are still noisy, but much less than before.
- There are only three USB ports;
- DVD player is substandard.
- Online gaming requires a paid subscription to Xbox Live.
- The power supply is huge.

In occlusion, the Xbox 360 Elite can be connected to any TV or home theater system in a variety of configurations, without the need to purchase any additional accessories. The Xbox 360 Elite comes with all the cables and accessories that you may need to connect to any TV. While it's primarily a game system, the Xbox 360 Elite is a fascinating digital media hub in the same time.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

at all with the Core (DON`T buy the core system it`ll end up costing a lot more in the end).

On a side note, I did buy my Xbox 360 Elite from Amazon and it's a great way to buy it as there is no tax and you can get free S/H, however I did have an issue with them taking 8 days to ship out as at the time they were low on supplies and my guess is they skipped over the free shipping people but still well worth it in my opinion. If you like the games, buy the system, don't buy it for its name or because someone told you to or told you not to.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black

...

your Xbox 360 to your XP or Vista home pc and listen to music and watch home videos that are stored on your pc. Very nice for when visitors are in town.
~ Warranty, warranty, warranty. No other console offers a one year complete coverage warranty like MS does. On top of that, they now offer a 3-yr warranty to cover the Red Ring of Death (RRoD)issues (see below).
~ CHOICE: I guess it depends on how you see it (glass half full/empty). But I personally don't like being forced to pay for features that I won't use. With the xbox 360 you get what is essential to you as a gamer...a great gaming console. If you want to have a wireless network for gaming, it's available, if you want a high definition movie player, it's available. I don't have either because I don't want or need them.


Cons (only one):
~ Well noone can deny the hardware issues that have plagued the Xbox 360 over the past 18 months. Overheating and the infamous RRoD has impacted the xbox 360. But, as stated above, MS had addressed the issue and is now correcting the design flaw which caused the failures.