Getting Familiar with XBOX 360 Gaming Console

By Tatum Ashbury

XBOX 360 is the successor of Microsoft's Xbox gaming console. Among its competitors are Sony's Playstation 3 and Nintendo's WII. XBOX 360 has an integrated "Xbox Live" feature that allows online interaction depending on the user's account either gold or silver. Aside from the built-in feature of Windows Media Center multimedia capabilities, more tools can be downloaded to enhance its performance.

XBOX 360 units are available worldwide and it was first released in Japan. It can be configured in two ways: "arcade mode" or "elite". XBOX 360 Arcade is the entry level released last October, 2007. It initially has 256MB of memory and it upgradable to elite version. To make the most of gaming experience, one can simply purchase an external hard drive with the size of 120GB. Since this would mean another expense, it is recommended to purchase the Xbox Elite instead not to mention that there is no headset and network cable provided in this version.

360 Elite is obviously better compared to Xbox 360 Arcade. There are more enhancements from the original Xbox 360 making more users addicted to it. It includes an excellent set of games with the Xbox exclusives. Each game has a good quality and high game definition. The "Elite" version has wide supportability range including wireless controllers and other networking accessories.

The Xbox Live service that is associated with Xbox Elite offers unlimited games plus multiplayer option with matchmaking and voice chat. Most of the latest games can be downloaded here including those that are backward compatible. Though it depends on the Xbox titles, visiting this online community is still worth the player's time.

Other services that may take place in the Xbox Live online are purchasing of mini games, downloading of add-on contents, searching for latest game releases and more. However, online gaming required a paid subscription. The digital media features and top-notch games in this gaming console make XBOX popular.

Xbox 360 Dashboard looks like that of dazzling TiVo. The professional and user-friendly interface make navigation more convenient and enjoyable. Several features are color-coded and you can navigate through tabs by using the directional keypad. The dashboard is also customizable depending on player's preference. Different themes are both available on the hard drive and over the internet. One notable personalization that you can avail is Gamer Card with your avatar and status message which could be 21 characters or less.

Xbox 360 Elite is also an efficient digital media hum aside from being a gaming console. To read your media files, you can simply install supported software first just like Microsoft's Windows Media Player, Windows Media Connect and Zune software. It can work perfectly well with your digital cameras, flash card readers, thumb drives and MP3 players. More network devices can be connected as well including your CD or DVD players. These flexible features make Xbox Elite a reliable media tool and a great gaming console competitor. - 30202

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