Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 is a video game console produced and marketed by Microsoft. It is the second console developed by Microsoft and competes with Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PlayStation 3 for marketshare in the video game console market. One of the Xbox 360's key features is Xbox Live, an online service that allows gamers to easily connect and compete online. It also features DVD and CD playback, can connect and play any media on a Windows Media Center-enabled PC, and can output a regular or High Definition signal for High Definition television sets.

Fast Facts

1. Maker: Microsoft
2. Generation: 7th
3. Debut: November 22, 2005
4. Backward Compatible (w/hard drive)
5. 18M sold as of Feb. 2008
6. Online: Xbox Live
7. Top-seller: Halo 3
8. Predecessor: Xbox
9. Connectivity: USB
10. Controller input: Max. 4
11. Customer Support: 1-800-4MY-XBOX

Red Ring of Death

Although the Xbox 360 has a lot to offer gamers, one aspect of it is not very appealing: the Red Ring of Death. A term used for general hardware failure, the RRoD appears in the normally green ring that surrounds the power button on the front of the console. When it appears, it means that there is a general hardware failure and the console is unusable. Though Microsoft has stated that failure rate of all consoles is between 3% and 5%, independent tests have yielded higher numbers, with one test concluding that the failure rate is closer to 16%. Users who experience the RRoD are not without recourse, however: if the console fails while still under warranty, Microsoft will fix it free of charge and give the user one free month of Xbox Live Gold membership as compensation for the inconvenience.

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