Xbox 360 S review (250 gig version, no Kinect)

December 26, 2010. I walk in to Best Buy, all my giftcards in hand. I waltz over to the Xbox isle, pick up a copy of Black Ops, and a brand new 250 gigabyte console. Now that I've had it for a few weeks, we shall see if it's the shit, or if it's shit.

DESIGN AND HARDWARE

The design of the Xbox 360 S (We're going to call the old one "White" and this one "Black") is very similar to Xbox white, but just a tidbit smaller, and with various hardware moved around. There are 2 vents on both sides, and 2 vents on the top. It can be set up in either horizontally or vertically.If you want to switch sides, just be sure however, to power off and remove whatever disk inside BECAUSE IT WILL SCRATCH THE DISK! Black Ops learned this lesson the hard way (I got a new copy, no biggy). The 4 gig version of Xbox Black is a flat, matte black, while the 250 version is a very shiny black. Almost looks as if Xbox white had a baby with a PS3. The buttons are all touch sensitive, so no need worrying if your disk ejector is stuck (like my Wii). The buttons emit a chirping sound when touched, so you'll know if you did it right. The harddrive is removable, but I haven't taken it out for fear of breaking it. Of note is the fact that it has built in WiFi connectivity, so no need to shell out cash for the adapter. Also included are 5 USB.20 ports, an HDMI output, and a jack to plug in your Kinect, if you're the type of loser who has one. The Xbox comes packaged with one controller, and a headset. The headset plugs into the controller, in the bottom. The controller is very nice, almost identical to the PS/PS2/PS3 one, except that the right analog stick has switched positions with the D-Pad, and I like this a lot.

SOFTWARE AND XBOX LIVE

The OS on the Xbox is fairly slick, with menus and stuff. Very user friendly, but it seems more geared towards families and children. C'mon Microsoft, Wii's are for little kids and families, Xbox's are for grown ups! So recognize your demographic! Now lets talk about Xbox live. I think Gabe Newell, president and CEO of Valve said it best, "It's a train wreck". First, when you create your XBL account, you have to create a Mii Avatar. These are your little representations of you to the XBL community, which you can then spend real world money on dressing them up and giving them toys. You can give them lightsabers, dogs, a friggin boat. Whatever you wish. You also have to spend real world money on PAYING to play online, as a Gold membership is required. Xbox Live includes the Xbox Live Arcade, a collection of downloadable games, which includes Shadow Complex, Portal: Still Alive, Sonic Adventure, etc. All these games are reasonably priced, and besides the last one, are generally good.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Xbox 360 Slim improved where the previous failed, with new internals (Less RRoD's! :D), more features, and a reasonable price point. Of course, the PS3 is about the same, and that has a Blue Ray player, but I don't own a PS3 and can't tell if it's any better.

Pros:
Good controller
Good games
Sleek design
VERY quiet (Only makes a little "vrrrr" when playing a game, but I would be kind of worried if it didn't)
Nice interface
Built in WiFi
More USB ports, an HDMI outlet, and a Kinect outlet (lolkinect)

Cons:
Xbox Live sucks (Well, that's more of a con in general, but Playstation Network allows you to play multiplayer for free)
Gets fingerprints easy
Feels VERY breakable, like glass.
Can scratch disks if you move it.


EDIT: Also of note, it literally CAN'T RRoD you. If a fatal error occurs, you'll get a Red DOT of Death on the power button!