2. It crashes and it dies
This is the billion-dollar question. How could Microsoft get this so very, very wrong? The dreaded Red Ring of Death effect indicates a fundamental engineering failure – through ordinary use, the 360 gets hotter than its designers expected. Hence the high failure rate. Hence the mortal dread gamers feel when those red LEDs glow.
The moving parts don’t work as they should. A DVD that provokes corrupted visuals and/or system failure when viewed in a 360 will typically work just fine in a PS3. This console quantifiably can’t play discs as well as the competition. And while it doesn’t gouge circular grooves into every disc you put in it, this has happened to enough people for it to be a serious issue.
3. Noise
Let’s not forget those noisy, noisy fans, firing-up as the tasks given the machine get more complex. We are constantly surprised when users tell us that they don’t notice the sound, or don’t find it an issue. Clearly they haven’t enjoyed the blissful serenity of the console’s competitors.
While the machine can, technically, play DVD movies, it’s one of the worst possible ways to do it. The noise generated can drown out the dialogue. The same is true for games, detracting massively from the whole experience.
Similar to a dripping tap, the noise of the 360 is a splinter in the mind’s eye. And nothing is worse than an itch you can never scratch.
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