The Xbox 360 is Microsoft’s second console following the previous Xbox. Designed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, and SiS, the system made its debut in 2005 and sold out completely in all regions except for Japan. Its main competitors are the
Sony Playstation 3 and the
Nintendo Wii where it remains in second place in total number of units sold.
In contrast to the original Xbox which was designed using off-the shelf computer components, the 360 contains a great deal of power. The CPU is a 3.2 Ghz PowerPC Tri-Core combined with a 500Mhz ATI Xenos for graphics. Also included are 3 USB ports, Wifi connectivity, and wireless controllers. There was previously an add-on HD DVD drive, however, that feature was discontinued when it became apparent that Blu-ray was winning the format wars.
Although the Xbox has been relatively successful, especially with a game lineup that includes
Grand Theft Auto as well as Xbox Live service, the console has been plagued with technical problems. The most notable is the dreaded “red ring of death” which can show up on your Xbox’s LED display, indicating a complete system failure. The 360’s failure rate have prompted Microsoft to issue hardware revisions as well as extended warranties.
