Microsoft developed the 360 to be a next generation replacement for their already successful Xbox. Whilst developing they had to make sure the console would be of high quality whilst at an affordable price.

Throughout the world, as you may well have seen yourself whilst travelling you need a different plug end pretty much wherever you go. The majority of Europe may well be the same however places like the USA and UK have different ends, and different voltages. They resolved this issue by using an external AC adapter that could use variable input voltages and also plug into different sockets due to having a standard modular input (kettle plug). Depending on where the item is to be sold they can throw in the correct cable. This saves on the cost of the product as only one supply needed to be developed and produced giving it more flexibility for the mass market is has been designed to be used in. This is a continuation of how the predecessor was powered which happened to save Microsoft money as several adapters were found to be faulty and a global recall was issued (PCWorld, 2008). So it is no surprise that they have continued it like this.

One brilliant feature we have also seen from the Xbox 360 is the way Microsoft have developed Xbox Live. Absolutely superb for online gaming, and there is also the ability to upgrade the console with little input from the user. Every few months I might sign onto my live account and be offered a free update, to which I just respond “yes” and the update is automatically applied, (the same applies to games). They have made the console’s software very easy to update which helps the user always receive the highest quality Microsoft have to offer from the software.

Recently Microsoft released the NXE which was a major change from the current Dashboard in use at the time. The NXE the operating system of the Xbox effectively, it is how the user interacts with the console. It is designed to make the console much easier to use since a number of extra features were added since the consoles release (King, 2008, p. 17-28). For those who are not connected to the internet a lot of new release games are now including the NXE on the disc and even the Official Xbox Magazine has been including it on cover discs to get it spread around quickly.

Updates for the console will not stop there either. During the recent E3 many new ideas have been put forward and we will see them implemented soon. These include Facebook, Twitter and Last.FM (Softpedia, 2009) being added to the console in the same easy to upgrade way as before; downloadable.

King, R. (2008, November). The NXE. The Official Xbox Magazine, 17-28.

PCWorld. (February 17, 2005). Your Xbox Power Cord Can Be A Hazard. Retrieved April 29, 2009, from
http://www.pcworld.com/article/119728/your_xbox_power_cord_can_be_a_fire_hazard.html

Softpedia. (June 02, 2009). Xbox Live Gets Support for Last.FM, Twitter and Facebook. Retrieved June 07, 2009, from http://news.softpedia.com/news/E3-Xbox-Live-Gets-Support-for-Last-FM-Twitter-and-Facebook-113105.shtml