Review by FTP for Xbox 360 4GB Console
Rating:
The xbox 360 slim with 4 GB. is what the original arcade version should have been, and is definitely worth its $200 price tag.

10 new features of this model are:

1. New Valhalla chip – hopefully improved design to prevent RRoD issue, but tech. reviews noted that the Jasper chip in the older Elite model runs cooler

2. WiFi N – this is the newest wifi standard that is 12X faster (up to 600 Mbits/ sec) than wifi G; you’ll need a Wifi N router to get the max. speed

3. digital optical audio port (if your sound system is separate from your TV, then you’ll need this to get full 5.1 surround sound)

4. 4 GB of flash memory (although 1.1 GB is used by the game system)

5. 5 USB ports (2 in front & 3 in back)

6. slimmer design with side vents (to prevent overheating)

7. dedicated Kinect port (just a convenience feature)

8. only 1 year of warranty (the only negative; older Elite models had 3 yrs.)

9. USB flash drive support (this was a xbox software update released in April 2010)

10. ESPN video streaming (will be included if you are a Gold member, $40/ yr.; should be available about Dec. 2010)

Slim 4 GB vs. 250 GB hard drive:

I bought the 4 GB system over the model with 250 GB hard drive because the xbox now supports game saves/ installs/ downloads and pic/ audio/ video downloads to USB flash drives. It supports 1-2 USB flash drives with 1-16 GB memory (using a 16 GB drive, 1.6 GB is used for formatting). Saving games and media to the USB drives is recommended since loading games and media will be much faster (reading memory is faster than reading hard drive) and more reliable (flash memory rarely fails, unlike hard drives); even the xbox live director recommended using USB drives for storage. If you have such a huge appetite for videos downloads and game demos that 32 GB can not accomodate, then you can always upgrade later with the 250 GB hard drive that will be sold in November; note that the older xbox hard drives are NOT compatible with the slim models. Installing xbox 360 games and game demos on the flash drives is no problem; xbox will ask you which drive to install the game. However, I can not verify if you can install older xbox games like Halo on the flash drive. The only xbox game I have is Halo 2, which does not install on flash. This problem may be specific to Halo 2 because even xbox live does not have Halo 2 for sale, which means Halo 2 is not supported without a xbox hard drive. I’m suspecting that any older games listed on xbox live is enabled for flash installation, but if they’re not listed then you’ll need a xbox hard drive. This is annoying but not a big issue since there are only a few older xbox games that you may want to play.

XBOX vs. PS3:

I am originally a PS3 and Wii gamer, but finally bought the xbox when the slim 4 GB model was released. To be competitive with the PS3, the xbox had to have the built-in wifi, optical audio port, and USB flash drive support. I was deciding whether to buy another PS3 for $300 since many games require 2 consoles for coop and multiplayer gaming, regardless of what system you choose. However, with this xbox priced at $200, I decided to choose the xbox since it has better coop games, more online gaming, and their video library blows away the PS3 online videos. Xbox music and music videos library needs to expand to the size of their TV and movies selection to be comparable with iTunes. The PS3 has better graphics though not significantly better (expected since PS3 has a better processor), but the XBOX has better coop and multiplayer games. The PS3 controller is better designed, better constructed, and has a rechargeable battery. Also, the PS3 has a Blue-Ray player, but is $100 more than the xbox slim 4 GB model. The xbox Kinect has more features and better specs. than the PS3 Move. With my Wii collecting dust, I decided to wait to see if games for the Kinect are a flop, similar to how many games for the Wii flopped. Anyways by summer 2011, Kinect games should be 1/2 price with better selection.

If you’re new to xbox, here are my recommended Top 10 coop games: Halo 1,3; Gears of War 1,2; Fable 2,3; HAWX 1,2; Halo Wars & Halo Reach (note: Halo 2 is not supported wo. a hard drive). Happy Gaming!

Review by Mikey for Xbox 360 4GB Console
Rating:
The best Xbox so far. The matte finish, price, 4GB internal is plenty for game saves and some add-ons. If you want more memory, just add 1-2 16GB USB flash sticks. I use USB drives for game saves and full game installs. This way I never have to worry about IF the system breaks on me. I’ll always have my personal saves on the flash sticks. I never trust hard drives as they are more prone to fail over a flash stick. Thats why I didn’t keep the 250GB version. Plus I don’t do demos so I don’t need that kind of space. Matte finish does not collect dust and hair like the gloss version does which drove me crazy as I did own the 250GB version for a short time until this version came out. VERY HAPPY with the arcade.

Review by Isaiah for Xbox 360 4GB Console
Rating:
Let me just start off by saying I’m in love with the matte black that’s on these 4gb arcades. I didn’t want to get the 250gb glossy Xbox 360 slim because I’ve had annoying experiences with my PS3 and how fingerprints and dust really are drawn to the glossy surface. This, though, is perfect, especially if you’re anal about things like that just like me.

This is the Xbox 360 that Microsoft should be proud of. It’s everything that’ll satisfy a new Xbox 360 purchaser, and if you’ve been holding out, now’s your chance to see what all the buzz is about.

For $200, you’re getting an amazing deal, especially when compared to the older “phat” models of the Xbox 360:

- Smaller system, hence the nickname “slim.”

- Sleeker/sexier. I think this is pretty self explanatory. Just look at them both side by side.

- MUCH quieter. When Microsoft says “whisper quiet,” they mean it. Especially if you install your games so the disk doesn’t even spin.

- Extremely high reliability increase compared to the 5 year old Xenon phat models, and even the reliable Jasper phat models. This is because of the 45nm combined cpu/gpu die, which is dubbed the Valhalla chipset. Jasper model phats were renown for being reliable and breaking the dreaded 3RROD curse that plagued older models, because they used a 65nm chipset. This Valhalla chipset is even better. Not to mention that, just like a Mac or a PS3, the console will shutdown if overheating, preventing damage to the console. Mines is usually on 12+ hours a day and I haven’t had any problems.

-Built in WiFi-N. Microsoft finally added wifi to their console, and to make up for it not being in the phat models, they went all out and made it wifi-N, which is the fastest wifi on any console available today. About time!

-4gb internal flash memory, which can hold about 4000 game saves. It’s enough for some DLC here and there and maybe an arcade game or two, but the best part is that it’s a major upgrade from the original phat arcades, which only had 256MB of flash memory. This is MORE then enough memory for a casual user, or a kid who only uses memory to save games. If, however, you want to do more like download a lot of things, you can buy a standalone 250gb HDD around next month and simply slide it in. Technically, you’ll have 254gb of memory if you do it that way.

- 5 USB slots. If you have a random USB lying around the house, just stick it in for more memory! 4gb flash memory and two 16gb cheap flash drives = 36gb of memory!

- Kinect ready, meaning it has a port in the back solely for Kinect. If you have a phat Xbox 360, you’ll need to plug Kinect into a power outlet on the wall.

- Touch sensitive buttons, which is a neat bonus.

All in all, for $200, this deal can’t be beat for what it offers. Whether you’re looking to buy an Xbox for Halo: Reach or Gears of War 3, or want to try out Dance Central, or are buying it for a younger person for such games as Kinectimals, you’re in for a treat either way.