Okay, guys. I've been on a seriously long holiday. You may notice I slowed to a standstill in like 2...
Okay, guys. I've been on a seriously long holiday. You may notice I slowed to a standstill in like 2003/2004. But I'm back. Ciao's changed a little, I've changed a little. I hope it's still the match it was before. lol
Member since:08.05.2003
Reviews:25
Members who trust:9
I have owned an Xbox since December 2005. I bought it brand new, and because it had been around for so long, it was only £99.99. So far I think that was probably the best hundred I ever spent.
It's quite a chunky machine, but it compares well against Sony's Playstation 2, on the inside.
DASHBOARD
I feel that the Xbox dashboard is a lot more well thought up than the PS2's. From the moment you turn it on, you can access your game saves, music collection, Live and the basic settings. Yes, you can do some of that on the PS2, but it's more complicated. With an Xbox, it's just straightforward. Also, the Xbox has the edge over PS2 when it comes to problems. If the PS2 was not connected to your TV properly, it wouldn't let you know about it. The Xbox has a green LED ring around the eject button, which flashes orange if the TV-out lead is too loose. There is a downer, though. The Xbox does not play DVDs without a remote controller, which is sold separately. Fortunately, it is also able to tell you that, rather than just not work.
HARD DISK
There are huge advantages of having a hard disk. PS2 players may always be proud of having access to all the best games,
but if a lot of players use the same console, there's always a lot of rummaging around with memory cards, which don't hold much information at all, anyway. The Xbox just saves games on its hard disk, and it depends on the game, but usually the games can create different profiles for different players, and you'd just load up your own. Also there is the ability to rip CD's and save the music. This allows (some, not all) games to use your music as the soundtrack. I don't know how big the hard disk is (the system uses blocks, and doesn't say how many are free, over 50,000, or how big a 'block' is), but I managed to fit about 1000 music tracks plus about 100 game saves on there (and STILL had '50,000+ blocks free), so it's HUGE!
MEMORY CARDS
In addition to the hard disk, Xbox players can also buy a memory unit. As I have never even seen one, I don't know how much storage space there is on one, but if the hard disk's anything to go by, it's a lot more than the PS2's.
GRAPHICS
In technical language, and on paper, the Xbox performs exactly the same as a PS2, but on screen it looks (very slightly) better. I don't know why, or how, this is.
CONTROLLERS
Shall we just put it this way: I play a PS2 for 1 1/2 hours, and get severe blisters on my fingers, I play an Xbox for a whole day, and my fingers are fine. It's all in the design, and Microsoft definitely had hand care in mind when they designed the Xbox controllers. There are triggers on the controller (where L1, R1, L2, R2 are on the PS2), and these make things a lot easier, especially when they're configured as accelerator and brake in a driving games. And when you're playing a shoot 'em up, R is the perfectly designed button for a weapon trigger. There are the Xbox's X,Y,B and A, that are pretty much the same as a PS2's buttons. Black and white kind of replace L2 and R2, as L and R can only do one thing at a time(!!) Depending on the manufacturer, some Xbox controllers have a safety feature, which, if pulled, will simply disconnect the controller, avoiding the possibility of pulling the console off a high shelf.
XBOX LIVE
If you have a very good brodaband connection, you can link your Xbox, via ethernet, to the broadband router, and play certain games against people all over the world. In a perfect world, this would be free. Unfortunately, it's not, at (currently) £4.99 per month. Depending on connection strength, you wouldn't normally notice any difference between playing offline, and playing online (apart from the players).
Anybody who can get one should get an Xbox communicator. This headset plugs into the controller, and allows people to chat while playing online. There are also some games (notably Rainbow Six 3) that allow the player to control the game by voice. How cool is that?
PHYSICAL LOOK
This should probably be at the top. Sorry. The Xbox is to a PS2, what a 4X4 is to a Smart car. It's massive compared. And it weighs a ton (exaggeration, probably somewhere closer to 3kg). It has a large Xbox logo on the top, in the middle of an 'X' motif, which nicely compliments the ventilation slots on the sides. On the front, there is the disc tray, emblazoned with the Xbx name. There is also a large eject button, with a LED 'halo' around it, which shows the status of the Xbox. Under that is the power button, somewhat smaller, and without the LED. There is also room for up to 4 controllers.
TECHNICAL PROBLEMS
My Xbox currently needs service, as it has stopped reading some of my games. I think this might be something to do with the lens, or the laser reader. As far as I know, this problem is quite rare, but there is an Xbox customer support line, whose number can be found on the Xbox website. The only reason why I've put this here is because people wishing to purchase an Xbox would need to know of any problems they might encounter, and how to sort it out.
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(+) i don't think their is one unless you wanna save on the electricity bill a tiny percentage. (-) There's really not much point to it. but i still love playstation!
Generally, I can only afford one console per generation and opted for the PS2 - can't say I ever had any problems with the pads and the comfort of them though. That said, I got a Dreamcast recently for £20 with a bunch of games because none of the 'new' consoles are cheap enough or interesting enough to warrant buying at the moment. Top review, good comparison - didn't the XBox have something of reputation for scratching discs in the early days? Anyway, nice to see you writing again! :) tom
Moogiekupo 02.06.2007 00:45
We just go round to play our friend's one - Kupo x
Put a face on your gamer tag and make yourself known to the people on your friends list ... more
with this Microsoft Xbox Live Vision cam. Bring gesture-based games to life using your body movements to control the action. The cam supports games designed with "face in game" technology for a personalized gaming experience - add your face to your character in game. Crystal-clear images are a snap with VGA 640H x 480V video at 30 frames per second and still photos at 1.3 mega-pixels.
Fusing powerful hardware, software and services in a smart matt black case, the Xbox 360 ... more
Elite fully engages you in a gaming experience that is expansive, dramatic and lifelike. Play games in High Definition on compatible displays using the HDMI output, watch DVDs and stream digital photos and music from your PC. The Xbox 360 redefines what games look like, sound like, feel like and play like to engage you like never before. Epic worlds come alive with smooth movie-like graphics and full surround sound. A generous 120GB hard disc drive allows you to store more game data than ever before, so youll always be able to pick up where you left off in your favourite games. Have a HD Ready or Full HD TV? Get the best out of your new XboX 360 by investing in an HDMI cable. Connection via your TVs HDMI input guarantees the best sound and picture (including upscaling where applicable), for the ultimate gaming experience.
Postage & Packaging:Free Availability:Stock On Order
Fusing powerful hardware, software and services in a smart matt black case, the Xbox 360 ... more
Elite fully engages you in a gaming experience that is expansive, dramatic and lifelike. Play games in High Definition on compatible displays using the HDMI output, watch DVDs and stream digital photos and music from your PC. The Xbox 360 redefines what games look like, sound like, feel like and play like to engage you like never before. Epic worlds come alive with smooth movie-like graphics and full surround sound. A generous 120GB hard disc drive allows you to store more game data than ever before, so youll always be able to pick up where you left off in your favourite games.
Postage & Packaging:Free Availability:Stock On Order
This Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite console is styled in a premium black finish, and is fitted ... more
with a 120GB hard drive. The Xbox 360 Elite has enough storage space for a library of Xbox LIVE Arcade games, leaving you room for downloadable high-definition TV shows, movies and music and plenty more besides. This console also features a HDMI port and cable and is supplied with a black controller, headset, AV connection cables and 1 month?s free Gold membership to the Xbox Live service.
Postage & Packaging:from £4.85 Availability:refer to website
The Xbox 360 Arcade console comes with a wireless controller and a 256MB internal memory. ... more
It also features a HDMI output, so you can experience your games in the highest definition possible, up to 1080p (HDMI cable available separately). There are also family settings which allow you to restrict game access for younger players. Fusing powerful hardware, software and services, the Xbox 360 fully engages you in a gaming experience that is expansive, dramatic and lifelike. Play games in High Definition, watch DVDs and stream digital photos and music from your PC. The Xbox 360 redefines what games look like, sound like, feel like and play like to engage you like never before. Epic worlds come alive with smooth movie-like graphics and full surround sound. Connect your Xbox 360 to a broadband connection and get instant access to Xbox Live Silver. Youll be able to use Xbox Live marketplace a one stop shop to download new game trailers, demos and episodic content. Upgrade to Xbox Live Gold and enter the exciting world of multiplayer online gaming. This package includes: Xbox 360 console (with 256Mb internal hard drive) Wireless controller Standard-definition AV cable
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Advantages: Both great consoles | Powerful Disadvantages: XBOX has limited good games | Playstation 2 can only have 2 players unless you buy extra accessory
DBZKing 04.11.2004 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Microsoft Xbox
Advantages: Brilliant graphics, HDMI Output, Excellent Games Library, Xbox Live Disadvantages: Expensive Games, Xbox Live Fee, Lack of Blu-Ray, Hardware Errors
Advantages: Looks good/Good storage/Great games/Great graphics/can play films and videos/music/lots lots more. Disadvantages: Very expensive accesories, especially the wireless adaptor
Jun 1st, 2007
exceptional by (6%):
very helpful by (94%):
