Er.. I think you got those switched around. ME was a bloated version of Windows 95 with integrated Internet Explorer. It probably rivals the failure of Microsoft Bob, it's that bad. On the other hand, 2000 was the successor to NT4, and Windows XP was based on it. While aimed at business the kernel was rock-solid.
Yeah I know its weird but I had a better experience with ME than 98 (BTW ME was not based on 95, but wasnt NT either). 2000 gave me some problems so I just deleted it and went for XP pro.
Frankly I don't think that Nikkei are the first professional organisation in the last couple of years to point the failure of the 360 design out to Microsoft. It is a bit like slamming the stable door shut once the horse has already bolted. Not sure when Nikkei published their "findings", but Microsoft have already acknowledged the issues and are working on them. Never under estimate the influence one person can have on a large organisation such as Microsoft. By adding a single voice to the thousands who were calling for Microsoft to do something about the failure rate, professional organisations decided to act. Thus Microsoft were painted into a corner of their own making. I didn't say "No shit Sherlock" to you, I was saying it to the organisation spending money on their findings. Too little, too late imo - had they published their findings when the whole debacle started then perhaps they might have deserved a bit more credit for lifting the veil on a hot issue (pardon the pun), but as it is they have hardly offered an earth shattering conclusion to debate we are all perfectly aware of!
I get your point bro, the thing is that MS is another HUGE corporation, and you know how they work... GM knew about the fatal errors on the convair even before it went on sale, and Ford knew at an early stage (early enough to recall all units with a pretty low loss) that the Pinto was a dangerous deathtrap. Yet GM decided to spend the money on a defamation campaign against those who said anything against the convair (check nader) and ford also decided it was cheaper to pay any eventual lawsuits ratter than redesign the whole car. With all that shit, MS actually looks like a very decent company, with the repairs service and all that...
As for the "Microsoft look a very decent company..." - if MS were decent, they'd insist on a product recall. It is fantastic that they are offering a 3 years warranty, but it is pathetic that there are people already suggesting that the units that are being returned do NOT contain the heat-sink upgrade! Really, a sticky plaster over an infected wound only leads to worse! Consider that repaired items will more than likely be going back AGAIN and you do begin to wonder at the thought processes behind the action. Had MS insisted that all consoles should be returned for the new heatsink / motherboard configuration then I'd be far happier. They really should also consider that disgruntled 360 owners may also (and probably more than likely are) be Microsoft product purchasers for their PC's. Alternatives are now readily available in the OS market too. They should be acting like their reputation as a large console manufacturer depended on it! For my part, Microsoft have completely lost whatever consumer trust & loyalty they had in me. Given their track record on the 360 I would be really hard pushed to give a monkeys ass about it's replacement. Actually, I personally feel that Microsoft may just bow out of the console market after the 360 is gone. They have already allocated $1.5billion on fixing the RLOD issue, but the reality is MS have been repairing these consoles from the word go and they can't be making any profit from it currently and their likelihood of ever doing so is dwindling. Microsoft had a massive advantage & headstart over Nintendo & Sony. That lead might be significant in the terms of developers getting to grasp with the equipment and software, but once that lead is a mute point then Microsoft will have to fight on a much harder terrain. Consumer confidence!
My faith in them was shaken. But the sad thing is if you want to play next gen games they're pretty much the only choice you have. The Wii is just a gimmick and the PS3 has something between jack and shit right now plus a poor on line service. I hope Microsoft gets their act together or all the exclusives stolen from sony will end up right back where they started.
Well I know a few Wii owners who would disagree. I also feel the PS3 is just something waiting for development to happen, a bit like an untapped resource rather than a piece of shit. It is somewhat frustrating at the moment isn't it! :nod:
That was a joke, an ironic observation since when you take in consideration all the bad things other companies did and continue to do, MS doesnt look that bad... About recalls, I wouldnt be surprised at all if an accountability study showed them that it was cheaper to fix the units once they get RLOD than to recall all the stock for said reapirs, or changing the broken ones for brand-new 65nm units. Anyway, even when the "faith" in MS may be broken (myself included) the 65nm units are already here, and the new $350 MSRP for the premium is already showing some results: the X360 sales are up like 400% in amazon. I'll wait and see if these new units are reliable or not. In any case I'm short of cash right now, cuz I just bought a new car, so even if I wanted a X360 I dont know if I would be able to afford one (not without getting into debt).
I didn't think the new motherboards were due to be available in 360 units until some point in the Autumn according to another article posted on AG a while back.... too lazy to go fishing for it right now, but might go later on! Last I heard was that the 65nm boards were currently being tested (over the summer period). I really do hope that the new motherboards are the solution they are being suggested they are. My newly repaired 360 (I am not going into it again) does NOT however have the new motherboard or heat sink configuration and I will no doubt be one of those "loyal launch unit" owners who never buys another launch unit again. Once bitten, twice shy! Actually, what am I talking about? Several times humped over, never again! lol
The root cause is extreme heat build up which causes the clamps to warp the board. If you take off the clamps (as I mentioned in a previous thread) and replace them then the machine usually comes back to life. One of my buddies has confirmed this on several red ring XB360's.
I attempted it and the damned thing gave up again! Plus the other issue for me has been MS updates which actually killed the dashboard! Not wishing to take this off topic, but as far as I am concerned it has been the least reliable of consoles I have ever owned. Not particularly impressed with it in that respect. However, if it worked I would be in love with it... in a kind of Angelina Jolie way :love2: as several of the games kick ass!
Have you guys seen the "towel trick" yet? People take red ring of death 360s and turn them on covered in towels and after awhile turn it off for awhile and then finally turn it on and it works? I had to laugh when I first saw the term "towel trick". Anyway, that's just funny if the board is warping cause of the heat and getting fucked up.
For me it worked for about 15mins, then the unit heated up and cut out. Each time I tried the towel trick it worked for a brief period. Infuriating to see your 360 spark back into a playful hello, only to be choked to death by it's own enthusiasm for excessive heat! :evil:
I doubt that either the Wii, or the PS3 have been designed without an eye on the ROHS regulations. I wonder if a possible reason that the 360 appears to have been hit harder, is that it was out earlier than the competition, who may have benefited from the extra time to work on heat management & manufacturing issues caused by the new regulations?
It's been almost a month and no issues with my elite. *knocks on wood* EXCEPT that they had a price drop AFTER I bought one... I just wasn't patient enough...
The Xbox 360 doesn't overheat, it's just Microsoft haven't released their winter blockbuster of "George Foreman Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine" where a add on will allow you to cook sausages while getting Mr Foreman to do punchbag training on the heavy bag. :lol:
