Microsoft Xbox 360: New Casing, Same Faulty Design Underneath

Dr. Roy Schestowitz

2010-06-26 00:31:42 UTC
Modified: 2010-06-26 00:31:42 UTC

"If you can’t make it good, at least make it look good."

--Bill Gates, Microsoft

Summary: LEDless RRoDs are hitting Microsoft's 'new' version of the Xbox 360, proving that it's just lipstick on a pig

A 'NEW' model of Xbox 360 was announced earlier this month and journalists were bribed to say good things about it [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. As we pointed out on a couple of occasions, LEDs disappeared, which made it impossible for RRoDs to become visible. But the same old problems were still there. Well, now it's confirmed.

"The Red Brick Of Death (New Xbox 360 Already 'RROD')," says this headline which led to the allegation that "Images have been discovered on a Forum showing an Xbox 360 Slim with what is believed to be the “Red Dot of Death”. The Forum, NeoGaf has not confirmed whether or not the images are 100% real, but the images posted show one of the Xbox 360 Slim with the RDOD"; Microsoft's statement is called "a very generic response, and no denial I can see," says a reader of ours who adds this reference:

Xbox 360 Slim Overheating Issues Already Discovered?

The Xbox 360 Slim which was announced and released during this year’s E3 might already be having problems.

Images have been discovered on a Forum showing an Xbox 360 Slim with what is believed to be the “Red Dot of Death”. The Forum, NeoGaf has not confirmed whether or not the images are 100% real, but the images posted show one of the Xbox 360 Slim with the RDOD, and another image showing the error message on the Dashboard.

Our reader Ryan, who has had about half a dozen Xbox 360s before dropping it for good (endless RRoD loops), says that "Microsoft has lied to cover up the last mass defect until it became so widespread and they had been sued so many times, they couldn't deny it. There was another issue with launch consoles that never got much attention. The PSU itself could overheat. There was a forum I was reading back in 2005 where people were opening the window in December to hang the PSU outside, so they could play their Xbox 360 until Microsoft sent the coffin out"

This debate went on and on for a long time last night. What will Microsoft do next? Key parts of the Xbox 360 management left the company after years of losses [1, 2, 3, 4]. Can Xbox survive these hard time? ⬆

Comments

Agent_Smith

2010-06-26 22:49:52

The subtle message here is: Want a better cooling ??? Do it yourself, make your own cooler, put your own fans. What we(M$) did, is done, and that's what you got when we sold it to you. Caveat emptor...
NotZed

2010-06-26 09:22:23

That's interesting, so it detects the temperature and turns itself off? How pedestrian, I bet that'll get old very fast. Although it takes the problem away from MS and leaves all the pain with the customer, who will somehow still be grateful that they're not having to send them in all the time.

But it shows they're still penny-pinching on an adequate cooling system, since that's all it comes down to, it's not like cooling is some novel unsolvable problem. It had to take microsoft to workaround a hardware problem with such a crappy software solution - leaving you with a device which is barely fit for purpose, can you imagine if any other consumer electronic device did such an outrageous thing?

I'm most surprised but just how cheap it looks. The other 'photos'/renders don't show the shiny plastic look looking so ... well, plastic. Like it's made from an icecream container.

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Microsoft Xbox 360: New Casing, Same Faulty Design Underneath

Xbox 360 Slim Overheating Issues Already Discovered?

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