A slimmer version? I sincerely hope with new and more efficient chips to power that thing. Its too hot and loud as it is now, a smaller enclosure is a recipe for disaster.
Most of the chip manufacturers have gone through a die-shrink in the last few years, making their processors and other related hardware use less power and run cooler, while still providing the same, if not better, performance.
To make a slimmer 360, I can imagine that they'd be using some of these new shrunk parts.
Microsoft needs to focus on making the Xbox run right and not overheat, rather than making it "look pretty". If die shrinks can do it that is fine, I imagine they'd be able to go a size or 2 smaller by now.
I would love if microsoft made a new slimmer xbox 360, it would greatly help increase the sales of natal as families prefer the smaller more compact devices like the wii to the big and bulky xbox and ps3 also if they added a blu ray player then they could steal a few ps3 users who use the ps3 as a blu ray player, the problem with that however is that you would have to make two different versions of a game (blu ray version and dvd version).
So yea really excited about this although i'm not sure if i'd be able to get it, i didn't swap my old ps3 for a slim when that came out and also my xbox has been working fine.
I would love if microsoft made a new slimmer xbox 360, it would greatly help increase the sales of natal as families prefer the smaller more compact devices like the wii to the big and bulky xbox and ps3 also if they added a blu ray player then they could steal a few ps3 users who use the ps3 as a blu ray player, the problem with that however is that you would have to make two different versions of a game (blu ray version and dvd version).
So yea really excited about this although i'm not sure if i'd be able to get it, i didn't swap my old ps3 for a slim when that came out and also my xbox has been working fine.
A Wii-sized box with a BluRay drive and 1080p would be a truly killer setup.
I don't think Microsoft would be expecting too many people to do a swap out just for the smaller form-factor. There would have to be a real value-add (like a BluRay drive) to get people to swap out.
With a small form-factor, they're probably going to be aiming for more Wii consumers, and people who haven't updated from their previous-gen consoles yet.
Even smaller than that, really. The Wii is such a great form factor, very unassuming.
Wii can be so small because its computing capability is much less than XBOX and PS3. But I have hope after seeing Tegra 2. In a couple of years, I think XBOX/PS3 class computing power will fit in a handheld while a chip like Fermi can be used for running the next generation console without a CPU.
Also, it's been functional and heat-death-free for two years now. Get off the goddamn horse, its bones are dust already.
au contraire,
I have seen the updated units fail, two in my household, and I just had a friend of my Son's come over and tell me how his that he just purchased new in Jan has already red ringed.
Snark, if you were building a system, would you stuff a triple core CPU and a fairly high end graphics card into a mini ITX enclosure?
Mini ITX, no, but I did stuff a quad and two graphics cards into an mATX build. Watercooling!
I haven't seen or heard any reports of Jasper-class 360s with the updated heatsinks RRoDing, but I've been lucky and careful with my Elite since I got it, so maybe I'm just less jaded. RRoDs from crap refurbs that get sent back multiple times I can see, but I thought they fixed that process and threw the new heatsinks on about a year ago before shipping. :shrug:
My depth perception may be off, but that doesn't look like it would be much thinner than current boxen.
But it's probably my depth perception.
Yeah, its really hard to tell from that photo. It looks to me like its one of those low profile extruded aluminum heat-sinks that you might use on a 45 watt CPU in a HTPC. I'm not sure how that compares with the current model in terms of height.
Honestly, I hope they get it right and it works nicely, runs cool and is quiet. I would consider picking one up if they make some major improvements in design, if only for a few fighting games I miss playing and a couple other exclusives. I hope they get it right.
I also read somewhere that part of the shrink might be due to a new system where local storage is not required. Cloud memory stores all your game saves, and such like valve is doing with certain steam titles. All your purchased live arcade content, stored on the cloud too. Point being, local storage is not required so that cuts down on the form factor a bit. We will see.
Sorry, but until the RRoD is gone for good, making a smaller console is the most ridiculous thing ive ever heard. Ive even gotten a RRoD on the newer Jasper Chipsets, which is ridiculous. im pretty sure you wouldnt buy a new Motherboard from a company that releases nothing but crappy motherboards. Same thing goes with consoles.
Sorry but microsoft has no excuse, they knew about their crappy hardware since before its introduction to consumers, I dont know if i can trust a company that knowingly puts out crap.
Comments
To make a slimmer 360, I can imagine that they'd be using some of these new shrunk parts.
So yea really excited about this although i'm not sure if i'd be able to get it, i didn't swap my old ps3 for a slim when that came out and also my xbox has been working fine.
A Wii-sized box with a BluRay drive and 1080p would be a truly killer setup.
I don't think Microsoft would be expecting too many people to do a swap out just for the smaller form-factor. There would have to be a real value-add (like a BluRay drive) to get people to swap out.
With a small form-factor, they're probably going to be aiming for more Wii consumers, and people who haven't updated from their previous-gen consoles yet.
I think you are describing PS3 slim
Even smaller than that, really. The Wii is such a great form factor, very unassuming.
Wii can be so small because its computing capability is much less than XBOX and PS3. But I have hope after seeing Tegra 2. In a couple of years, I think XBOX/PS3 class computing power will fit in a handheld while a chip like Fermi can be used for running the next generation console without a CPU.
au contraire,
I have seen the updated units fail, two in my household, and I just had a friend of my Son's come over and tell me how his that he just purchased new in Jan has already red ringed.
Snark, if you were building a system, would you stuff a triple core CPU and a fairly high end graphics card into a mini ITX enclosure?
I haven't seen or heard any reports of Jasper-class 360s with the updated heatsinks RRoDing, but I've been lucky and careful with my Elite since I got it, so maybe I'm just less jaded. RRoDs from crap refurbs that get sent back multiple times I can see, but I thought they fixed that process and threw the new heatsinks on about a year ago before shipping. :shrug:
Or unless you're Microsoft and don't give a shit as long as the gravy train keeps on running.
Apparently the GPU and CPU have been combined onto a single chip, just needing a basic extruded aluminum heat-sink with a downdraft fan to cool.
But it's probably my depth perception.
Yeah, its really hard to tell from that photo. It looks to me like its one of those low profile extruded aluminum heat-sinks that you might use on a 45 watt CPU in a HTPC. I'm not sure how that compares with the current model in terms of height.
Honestly, I hope they get it right and it works nicely, runs cool and is quiet. I would consider picking one up if they make some major improvements in design, if only for a few fighting games I miss playing and a couple other exclusives. I hope they get it right.
I also read somewhere that part of the shrink might be due to a new system where local storage is not required. Cloud memory stores all your game saves, and such like valve is doing with certain steam titles. All your purchased live arcade content, stored on the cloud too. Point being, local storage is not required so that cuts down on the form factor a bit. We will see.
Sorry but microsoft has no excuse, they knew about their crappy hardware since before its introduction to consumers, I dont know if i can trust a company that knowingly puts out crap.
Dont believe me? Here you go:
http://games.venturebeat.com/2008/09/05/xbox-360-defects-an-inside-history-of-microsofts-video-game-console-woes/