Xbox 360 (2005)
The Xbox 360 is the successor to Microsoft’s Xbox video game console, developed in cooperation with IBM, ATi, Samsung and SiS. Information on the console first came through viral marketing campaigns and it was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information divulged later that month at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. The Xbox 360 is the first console to have a near-simultaneous launch across the three major regions, and the first to provide wireless controller support at launch. The console sold out completely at release and by the end of September 2006 had sold 6 million consoles worldwide.The Xbox 360 was the first console to be released in the seventh generation of game consoles and competes against Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii. Its Xbox Live service allows gamers to compete online, download games and additional content.
Development
Known during development as Xenon, Xbox 2, Xbox Next or NextBox, the Xbox 360 was conceived in early 2003.In February of 2003 planning for the Xenon software platform began, and was headed by Microsoft VP J Allard. That month Microsoft held an event for 400 developers in Bellevue, Washington to recruit support for the system. Also that month Peter Moore, former president of Sega of America, joined Microsoft. On August 12, 2003 ATI signed on to produce the graphic processing unit for the new console, a deal which was publicly announced two days later. The following month IBM signed on to develop the Triple-Core CPU for the console. Before the launch of the Xbox 360, several alpha development kits were spotted using Apple Power Mac G5 hardware. Games running on these were reported to be using 25-30 % of the actual system's power. Microsoft chose to use these systems for their PowerPC architecture, which is similar to that of the Xenon CPU used in the system. On October 24, 2005 Microsoft shut down Xbox Live for a day to upgrade it for the Xbox 360.
Launch
The promotional campaign for Xbox 360 began on March 14, 2005 with the opening of an alternate reality game called OurColony. Throughout March and April it offered challenges to its community, rewarding solutions with cropped pictures of the console and game screenshots. The end of OurColony came on May 12, 2005; with the release of a video showing J. Allard of Microsoft showing off the Xbox 360 console. The official unveiling of the Xbox 360 occurred the same day on MTV in a program called MTV Presents: The Next Generation Xbox Revealed. In October of 2005 a similar alternate reality game was created, Hex168, to promote the system before launch.The Xbox 360 was released on November 22, 2005 in the United States and Canada; December 2, 2005 in Europe and December 10, 2005 in Japan. It was later launched in Mexico, Colombia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand. At E3 2006, Microsoft announced that the console will be officially launched in eight new countries: South Africa, Chile, India, Brazil, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. An official launch for the Philippines has been announced. In its first year on the market, the system launched in 36 countries, more countries than any console has launched in a single year. Due to its early launch, the Xbox 360 has a year lead on both of its competitors, Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii.
Storage
The Xbox 360 is equipped with a 12x DVD drive, capable of a read rate of 8.2-15.9 MB/s, depending on the location on the disc, compared to Playstation 3's 8.6 MB/s. Games are stored on standard dual-layered-DVD-ROMs with 7 GB of usable space available for game content. The option to apply a regional lockout to games is available to publishers, although DVD region codes are always enforced. Microsoft has implemented methods to prevent hacking through the drive. Later drive models have the external debug triggering removed and black hard glue added to cover all the chip and controller pins. The drive is able to read both DVD±R and DVD±RW in addition to being able to play DVD-Video out of the box, unlike its predecessor which required the purchase of an add-on remote. The system is also capable of playing standard CDs along with CD-R/RW, CD-DA, CD-ROM XA, CD-Extra, WMA-CD, MP3-CD, and JPEG Photo CD. Some users reported problems with the disc drive, as when a user changes the consoles orientation, the inserted disc may brush against the drive's pickup-assembly and incur scratches to it. Announced at CES 2006 and first publicly shown at E3 2006, an external HD-DVD drive was released in North America on November 7, 2006 for $199.99, and in Japan on November 17, 2006 for ¥19,800.In Europe, the HD DVD drive will be released for €199.99/£129.99 in the UK, France, and Germany. For a limited time, the HD DVD drive will be bundled with an Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote, as well as an HD DVD copy of Peter Jackson's King Kong. The drive will play HD DVD movies, although all Xbox 360 games will remain on the DVD format. Microsoft has no plans to include an internal HD DVD player in future Xbox 360 designs. The external drive connects to the Xbox 360 via USB and contains two integrated USB ports on the rear.The Premium configuration of the system comes with an external hard drive and it is optional to separately purchase one for the Core. The detachable hard drive has a storage capacity of 20 GBs and is not required for standard games. The 2.5" drive is connected through a SATA interface and spins at 5400 rpm
Xbox 360 Technical Specs
CPU
Custom IBM PowerPC
Cores - x3 symmetrical
Clock Speed - 3.2 GHz each
2 Hardware threads per core
1 VMX-128 Vector unit per core
Memory
Custom ATI
RAM - 512 MB GDDR3 (shared with GPU)
VRAM - 512 MB UMA (shared with CPU)
eDRAM - 10 MB
Memory Bandwidth
Main - 22.4 GB/s
eDRAM - 256 GB/s
FSB - 21.6 GB/s
L2 Cache - 1 MB
Graphics - Custom ATI @ 500 MHz
Hard drive - Removable 20GB/60GB/120GB
Max resolution - 1080i
Audio - 5.1 Digital
Game Format - DVD
Controllers - Supports four 2.5 GHz Wireless
Wireless Connectivity - Wi-Fi-ready IEEE 802.11 a/b/g (needs adapter)
Input/Output
3 USB 2.0 Ports
Ethernet (RJ45)
2 Memory slots
Other Features
Interchangeable Face Plates
Media Centre Extender
Xbox LIVE
Eye-Toy like camera - Called Xbox Live Vision
Xbox 360 Accessories
Memory Unit
The memory unit lets you take your game saves with you and use them on a friends console.
20GB/60GB/120GB Hard Drive
The Hard Drive lets you save games and music plus it lets you download Xbox Live content.
Wireless networking adapter
The Wireless networking adapter lets you play games over the internet wirelessly.
Headset
The head set lets you discuss gaming issues with Xbox Live Team mates.
Communicator headset
The Communicator headset lets you talk with gamers around the world.
Xbox Live starter set
The Xbox Live starter set provides you with everything you need to use Xbox Live.
Xbox 360 Faceplates
Faceplates allow you to change the look of your Xbox 360.
HD DVD Player
The HD DVD Player allows you to play HD DVDs through your 360.
Play and Charge kit
The Play and Charge kit allows you to charge your 360 controller while playing a game.
Quick Charge kit
The Quick charge kit allows you to quickly charge your controller.
Universal Media Remote
The Universal Media remote allows you to control your 360 and Media Centre PC with the same remote.
Wireless Gaming receiver for Windows
The Wireless Gaming Receiver integrates with you online PC gaming experience
Wireless Headset
The Wireless headset allows you to talk wirelessly over Xbox Live
Wireless Gaming wheel
The Wireless Gaming wheel allows you to play racing games wirelessly with the actual feel that you are driving a real car.
Xbox Live Vision
The Xbox Live Vision allows you to video chat with friends over Xbox Live.
Also compatible with: