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What To Do With a Free Xbox 360 Pro?
OzPeter writes "Last week I won an Xbox 360 Pro. However, I am not a gamer, and after looking at the current MS offerings, I am not tempted to become one. But I am in the market for a Media Center PC that I can use for streaming TV shows off the 'net as well as general web browsing and displaying video through the HDMI port. With that in mind, I again looked at MS and saw they seemed to have positioned the Xbox as an adjunct to a separate Windows Media Center PC and not as a stand alone unit (which is not what I want). So, once again, I did some more research into the Xbox homebrew scene and discovered things like Xbox Linux. But after reading that site, it is apparent that MS is trying to beat down the homebrewers, and I am left wondering how much hassle it would be to go down that path. So my question is: how should I re-purpose my Xbox? Is it worthwhile doing the Homebrew/Linux option (and can anyone share any experiences)? Are there other ways of re-purposing the device that I haven't considered? Or should I just keep it boxed up as a Christmas present for a favorite nephew?"
Eventually every 360 that is actively used will RROD. After production stops, the 360 population will shrink rapidly. Once they become rare, sell your new in box Pro to some desperate M$ fanboi.
better yet, simply sell the thing and invest a PS3. If you want a media center with upgradable storage, the ability to utilize external storage, blu-ray player, amazing gaming platform (even if you aren't interested), and everything else the PS3 does. Seriously, sell it and buy a PS3. You won't regret it.
I suggest you take it and shove it up your ass.
It is a microsoft product after all.
The problem with this is just like PS3 Linux. Microsoft and Sony offer a legitimate way to get homebrew on the device - Microsoft with their XNA environment (and a $99/year fee to put your homebrew on your Xbox360 and sell it (yes, Microsoft encourages you to sell your homebrew games - the "Indie Marketplace")). Sony lets people go nuts with the Linux port (until recently - the Slim can't run Linux). Both these measures kept most homebrewers busy actually making homebrew, and leaving any mods to be used for piracy (until recently, the only reason to mod your xbox was for piracy, or "playing backup games").
But if you have an Xbox360 you don't want, give to to charity or sell it. Hack it only for fun - if it doesn't do what you want, and you don't want to invest in hacking it, then you might as well give/sell it to someone who wants it more.
Wait, let me get this straight. Not only do I pay for my device, I then have to pay MS to be able to do work on it? Something that, if successful, MS will benefit from because it will simply sell them more devices (for those of you who don't understand the basic concept of console sales in relation to number of popular games, please don't answer this post). I have never heard of a case where you pay your employer. I have three questions:
Am I missing something?
Is MS saying that developing is not a job?
Is MS trying to leech of other peoples work without offering anything in return? (No, if you already bought the Xbox you already have what you need and you also already paid for it, saying "ok you can develop on it" is not offering something in return, and forcing someone to use their proprietary platform is not offering something in return either, OFFERING the proprietary platform however is)
I am the lawn!
So they're in hospital, sick, and now you want to lock them in to some fad console so Microsoft can siphon money from them/their parents? Gee, thanks. ;)
You are a rich lazy douchebag. Eat your _FREE_ xbox and choke on it. You are so lazy that you can't use the google to figure out what to do with it.