Chris Kirby's Inner Monolog : Xbox

The Red Ring of Death, how festive...

Chris Kirby — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 22:43:24 GMT

Dear original 360 owners, if you have a pre hdmi Xbox 360, then your console is basically a ticking time bomb that will die at any time. Fortunately for me, it lasted just over 1.5 years before it finally fried. All it took was a 6 hour session of guitar hero III for mine to experience the warning signs (consistent game freezes) and finally detonate. Nearly everyone I know with a 360 lately has had the same issue...which can probably be attributed to the latest crop of games exploiting the full horsepower of the console. The one good thing out of the whole experience is that Microsoft will still repair this particular issue free of charge, in or out of warranty; which, in my opinion, is their rightful obligation to do so. Also, on the upside, it only took a total of 2 weeks (1 week just to get the box) to receive the repaired unit back...which was considerably faster than the estimated 6 weeks. And they threw in 1 month free of Live Gold, which was a nice bonus. Though, I had already purchased a new Elite, since I am the Zen master of patience...so time was less of an issue for me. If you do have a pre hdmi 360, don't bother with the cooling units either. Most forums on the subject suggest that using a cooling unit may even have the opposite effect causing additional strain and possibly voiding the warranty.

Why I chose the new Zune over the iPod touch

Chris Kirby — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:45:00 GMT

Seems crazy right? I thought so at first considering that the iPod touch was probably the coolest gadget I've held in my hands to date. Not only was it thin, small, and of high quality build components but also had a revolutionary touch screen interface originally available only on the iPhone. With all that said, there were some things that just didn't work for me and my Windows centric lifestyle, and I ultimately decided to return it.

iTunes.
Is there a more bloated and clunky media application for Vista? I think not! it totally pukes on a library as large as mine (16,000 songs) and continually created system instability and crashes. I've literally spent countess hours uninstalling and reinstalling, trying to figure this out, but I think it simply comes down to poor support for a large network library of music (all my songs reside on a local file server connect via gigabit LAN). Previously I used alternative software like Anapod, but there is currently no support for the Touch. And even if it did, doesn't support podcasts and store bought music.

Windows Media Support.
The only way around this is was to literally have iTunes convert all of my wma tracks to aac audio files. Now, initially that wasn't a deal breaker for me, but considering I have over 4,000 wma files in my library, it turned out to be quite an overwhelming task. That, and I'm stuck with 4,000 duplicate tracks needed only for iTunes and the iPod. Third, its overall inability to integrate in to my tech lifestyle. Since the iPod touch is Internet enabled via its built-in 802.11 b/g, it has a couple of the killer iPhone features such as safari and YouTube. While initially great, this created too much gadget crossover for me since I already carry with me an 802.11 b/g and 3g enabled window mobile 6 smart phone which can do both of those things, though admittedly not as well. In addition to that, it has no support for my Xbox 360 (and I'm not talking about the crappy library sharing via iTunes, which does not work with network tracks btw) and no glimmer of future support for a subscription music service via iTunes or the wireless store on the iPod.

Storage And Cost.
The device itself was limited to about 14 gigs of flash storage and cost $400 bucks. At the end of the day, it was just too little and too much to justify.

Now on the the new Zune. I snagged one of the rare 80gb models last Tuesday at a Target near me, and have been very pleased with it thus far. For starters, its a LOT smaller that the old 30gb brick, with nearly 3x the storage capacity, and a cost of only $249 bucks. So already its off to a better start.

The Software.
The new Zune software is a significant upgrade from the original. The interface has been totally redesigned for the better and looks and acts as I would expect a Microsoft developed WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) app to, even though it unfortunately is not WPF based. The navigation is a clean as it comes, and actually reminds me of the iPod touch interface experience quite a bit, less the touch screen of course. The new features included with the software are complete podcast subscription support via Collection or the Zune Marketplace (finally!), integration with the new Social, and wireless synchronization over your local wifi network. The podcast support is great, as of now they have a growing catalog of choices via the marketplace, or you can add the rss feed directly in the podcast section of your collection. Best part is that all iTunes podcast feeds designed for the iPod will work natively on the Zune, no transcoding necessary! The Social has been beefed up as well, which now has a built in messaging system, a new Zune card which shows all your recently played tracks and music prefs to your friends, and has even tighter integration with my Xbox live gamer tag...e.g. friends list and shared MS points. All of that combined point to some pretty amazing things on the horizon for Zune and 360 owners...I'm already envisioning full marketplace and social integration with Xbox. Just imagine being able to stream your subscription music or Zune radio channels on your Xbox while playing some Halo 3! The wireless sync is a very nice feature as well, though when I did it for a fairly decent size sync, it ate most of my battery in the process.

The Hardware.
This time around its got some significant improvements. The most notable are the size and construction, the new touch sensitive dial, and the incredible premium headphones. The size seems half the foot print of the original, and Microsoft used some higher quality components on the exterior. Primarily the change to a glass screen instead of plastic, the extra .2 inches of screen real estate. On the inside they added chip support for MPEG-4 and H.264 a/v an updated wireless adapter which now supports wpa2 security, and a new hard drive that's smaller and allows for 30 hours of audio playback on one charge. The touch sensitive dial is a very nice addition as well, it works just as you would expect sliding in the direction you wish to navigate. It's also a convenient way to adjust the volume when playing music and video...you even have the option to turn it off if you don't care to use it. Lastly, the new included premium headphones were the real surprise for me. They are hands down the best in-ear headphones that I've ever seen included with a media device...and I've bought a lot of music and video players over the years. The earpieces themselves come with 3 sizes of ear fittings and magnetically stick together for storage, which is even more convenient then you would realize. Also, the cord for the headphones are wrapped in a thin rope vs your typical plastic casing, which makes them considerably more durable. Granted, they will not take the place of my uber expensive Bose noise canceling headphones, but they are an excellent and more portable alternative for certain situations.

Final thoughts.
Overall, I'm extremely happy with my decision. Not only did I save $150 bucks, but I now have a music player and software that tightly integrates with the OS and gaming platforms that I already use. And, as much as Apple has done to make the iPod at home on Windows, it just isn't enough to compete. And honestly, I don't think they care. They would much prefer and have certainly designed for their devices to function in their world of the Apple desktop and the Apple TV, which is fine considering the Zune is equally targeted to the Microsoft universe. Though, i would love to have one of those 17" Macbook Pro's running Leopard and Vista, they truly do make some, usually unrivaled, hardware.

Guitar Hero III...I don't want it, I just need it!

Chris Kirby — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 01:20:00 GMT

I've only had the game for a few days now, but I'm already hooked. Granted, I suck something horrible, but that hooks me in even more ;) Any game where you get to battle the devil playing the "Devil Went Down To Georgia" is a guaranteed hit in my book! I especially love the 4 skill levels so a noob like me can get in to it right away on easy, and work my way up...though, I can't even fathom handling expert mode on any song, that's just pure insanity. I haven't check out the xbox live stuff yet, but I plan too as soon as a soon as I can hold my own a few of the songs at a higher skill level. I get pwned enough in H3 as it is ;)

Though, with that said, I was utterly shocked and demoralized when I saw this video below. All I can say is hallelujah, and holy shit!

Xbox 360 spring update...best yet

Chris Kirby — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 16:52:00 GMT

The 360 is finally getting some key features that I've been waiting for! Next months update (5/7) will include all the goodies in this press release... among them, live anywhere support via live messenger integration and, from the "its-about-time-department", H.264/MPEG-4 video support. With this announcement and the upcoming arrival of the 120gb drive (separately or on Elite system), there really is no better time to pick up a 360...not to mention the IPTV service thats slated for later in the year, no iTunes required ;)

First day with the Zune

Chris Kirby — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 17:08:00 GMT

I was planning on getting a Zune sometime next year, once they beefed up the software/firmware a bit, but to my surprise, Santa decided hook me up with one on Christmas morning! I guess those cookies and Jager I left for him paid off...

My first impression of the Zune and the companion software was very reminiscent of hooking up the 360 or more recently, the Wii for the first time. In that, that hardware seemed solid and full of potential, but the software was nowhere close. I believe that this is both a good and a bad thing. The good being that you now have a device which is capable of achieving a countless number of additional features, given its unique hardware features. Specifically the onboard wireless and the windows live integration. The bad being that this potentially great device is quite limited for the time being, and may not be up to the standards of the veteran Creative players or even the iPod. Which, unfortunately, has become common place in this 'beta' software age we now live in.

With that said, I think there are some specific things Microsoft will need to do to in order for the Zune to be successful. First, it needs to ride on the coat tails of the Xbox 360. Meaning that it should have wirelessly integrated with my 360 out of the box...giving all 6+ million 360 owners an immediate need to ditch their iPod and pick up a Zune. Second, clean up the DRM mess. Do i use Urge or Zune marketplace? Why doesn't my Zune work with Windows Media Player 11? What do i do with my PlaysForSure tracks? Will it DRM uninfected tracks share via wireless? Finally, get me the features that will bring the Zune up to par and eventually set it apart. We need podcasting support, games, and a video marketplace just to catch up to the competition...and real wireless functionality with tighter live integration to surpass it.

So, buy one or not? Well, for me, the potential and the quality of existing features was enough...but i'm not conviced that its ready for the masses just yet. Afterall, its the hardware that sells it, and the software that keeps it.

Second shipment my ass

Chris Kirby — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 18:08:00 GMT

First of all, I don't know how they can call 25 units at the local Best Buy a second shipment...25?? give me a break. My local Best Buy had a modest 350 units for the original Xbox launch which was just enough to last the morning. I just don't know how Microsoft could have screwed up this bad on the delivery side. Their marketing was excellent, they had a decent list of launch titles and accessories, but when it came to actually getting the unit, people were left out in the cold...literally. I pre-ordered in the first week of September and there are still 13 people ahead of me on the list at my local EB! (I was 35th in line over all) Why the hell is best buy the only one getting units? Doesn't it make sense to fulfill the orders of the people that actually paid or left deposits? The jackasses that got their units yesterday at Best Buy had to wait 2 or more hours in sub 20 degree weather to get theirs, which pisses me off even more because I've been in line since September 5th! This is either a Gamestop/EB conspiracy or an evil plan by Microsoft and eBay to milk us poor bastards alive. First come, First Screwed (In a very uncomfortable place, of course).

But I'm not bitter or anything...

Will spread for Xbox

Chris Kirby — Thu, 15 Dec 2005 18:21:40 GMT

<<	Sex for an Xbox 360?

Throw in Jenna and you've got a deal ;)

Screw the 360, I'll take one of these

Chris Kirby — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:39:00 GMT

<<	Costco now selling high quality "Ultimate Arcade" Machine

Nice piece of hardware...check it out! I'm thinking this would look nice next to the Jager machine.

360 Melee

Chris Kirby — Tue, 22 Nov 2005 23:56:00 GMT

Gotta love MS and their trickle theory for the Xbox 360 launch. As of now, it looks like my pre-order will arrive in the second shipment, which should be by Friday or early next week... though, if you can't wait, they're going for a whopping $1300 consistently on ebay! I would have slept at best buy last night if I knew that *** (which I did for the first Xbox btw). At that price, soccer moms will be killing their neighbors to get one by Christmas ;)

** update
Now i hear rumors that the second shipment could be after Christmas! I wonder if the shortages have anything to do with the numerous reports of 360's crashing...perhaps some faulty components?

Good luck reaching 1 billion with that price

Chris Kirby — Wed, 17 Aug 2005 21:06:00 GMT

<<	Microsoft Rolling Out Two Xbox Versions - Washington Post

$400 bucks for the "premium" version...damn thats expensive! and since when does premium mean a controller and a hard drive, which, last time I checked where required to make the xbox more than a household decoration. I'm not saying I won't fork over the cash ;) I'm just thinking that will hurt the early adoption of the new system...I also remember Sony saying their system will cost some serious cash, so I'm thinking the PS3 cold be closer to $500 bucks.

Save your loot

Chris Kirby — Tue, 02 Aug 2005 19:03:09 GMT

<<	Xbox 360 price announced!

Its about what I expected, but I was hoping for $250 bucks instead...I also read that those of us who snatch up the first round of 360's might be missing out on an hd-dvd drive to be added in later additions. I don't know if thats true, but I hope not.