Microsoft insider confirms: 360 is flawed

[BillCable]

This article is simply stunning:

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/d...ves/129866.asp

I'd selectively quote, but every single word is just so damning, it'd be a disservice to focus on just parts of it.

[PeechCobblerPie]

a man of truth. and he works there! The first non-douchebag MS management personelle

[LynxFX]

Pretty interesting read. Much which we already knew but a lot that just makes you mad at MS. I loved the first Xbox. MS flew me out to NYC to preview the 360 a couple months before launch. I said then that it seemed to be having problems, but they assured it was just because the units weren't final. Eitherway I wasn't impressed and decided not to purchase a launch unit. I still don't own a 360 and probably never will.

I do have to laugh at this though:

Is humidity a factor? Are Xbox 360s in Florida just as likely as a 360 in Seattle?

Seattle and any city in Florida have the same relative humidity. lol I think he meant to pick a dry climate city like Phoenix or Las Vegas.

[Slackr89]

that interview made me happy knowing that i waited to buy a PS3 instead of jumping on the first available console

[Rob71]

Second, MS was so focused on beating Sony this cycle that the 360 was rushed to market when all indications were that it had serious flaws. The design qual testing was insufficient and incomplete when the product was released to production. The manufacturing test equipment had major gaps in test coverage and wasn't reliable or repeatable. Manufacturing processes at eall levels of suppliers were immature and not in control. Initial end to end yields were in the mid 30%. Low yields always indicate serious design and manufacturing defects. Management chose to continue to ship anyways, and keep the lines running while trying to solve problems and bring the yields up.

This statement could really cause problems for M$ if a lawyer gets hold of it.

[reiella]

It's a blog piece.

*shrug*

[ add / edit ]
Just to clarify, my view on the article is that it well could just be someone writing a fictious interview up to promote their own beliefs.

[WickyWoo]

It's a blog piece published on the major paper in Seattle's website

Do you really think that they'd allow something like that to remain, the paper on MS's home turf if it wasn't real?

Everything in there jives with everything that's gotten out there.

glad I waited for Falcon

[Sling]

Microsoft is in DEEP SH..
Poor fanboys..They will finally realize that Microsoft isn't God.

[reiella]

Originally Posted by WickyWoo

It's a blog piece published on the major paper in Seattle's website

Do you really think that they'd allow something like that to remain, the paper on MS's home turf if it wasn't real?

Everything in there jives with everything that's gotten out there.

glad I waited for Falcon

Yes, I do, read the top disclaimer on the very page from Seattle P-I...

And coupled with it being posted on the weekend. Not a big surprise.

It's interesting if true, but it pretty much says exactly what was already "known" or "believed" about the faults.

[Jordahn]

Didn't Robbie Bach already admitted that the 360 was flawed right around the time Peter Moore was fired and later became the President of EA Sports???

[Kierre]

It seems like the hot topic of conversation among 360 gamers is, "how many returns are you up to now?" I had mine a little over a year with no problems, and had to recently send it in.

A good friend of mine (married to my sister-in-law) in Germany, who is a hardcore 360 addict, has turned his in 6 times . So, as the article states, they still don't really know what is causing the problems. Every replacement console they send out is probably "best effort". I haven't heard of anyone actually receiving their original console back "repaired".

When the console works, I like it. What I don't like is irresponsible manufacturing, which is what this is.

I bought the 360 to tide me over until the PS3 came out and now my daughter gets the most use out of it.

[WickyWoo]

Yes, I do, read the top disclaimer on the very page from Seattle P-I...

And coupled with it being posted on the weekend. Not a big surprise.

MS's lawyers are on call 24/7

If they could win a lawsuit about it, they would have made the call already. Seriously

[reiella]

Originally Posted by WickyWoo

MS's lawyers are on call 24/7

If they could win a lawsuit about it, they would have made the call already. Seriously

I'm pretty sure Microsoft's not in the business of issuing C+D orders to bloggers anymore. Even if they do lie. It's more so when they tell the truth that I remember the C+Ds crop up .

[WickyWoo]

I'm pretty sure Microsoft's not in the business of issuing C+D orders to bloggers anymore. Even if they do lie. It's more so when they tell the truth that I remember the C+Ds crop up .

When it involves exposing them to more lawsuits, and is from a pretty reliable blogger they are. By suing, they would have to prove their injury, aka they'd have to open the books on their yields and everything else, which in the end would be far more disastrous

[RUR]

I'll say this: I've been heavily involved in electro-optical manufacturing for over 30 years and, whoever this guy is, he's clearly knowledgeable about root causes which could explain reliability issues - reflow profiles, misaligned solder paste, issues surrounding Pb solder, etc.etc. Problems with multiple solder ball sizes on BGA's (Ball-Grid Arrays) weren't well-understood by many in the world of CCA manufacture as recently as 3 years ago. Design margins, adequate qualification testing, test verticality and process maturity and control are all fundamental to a producible and reliable product.

Obviously, I can't comment on the truth of any of these allegations, but the guy certainly talks a good game.

[reiella]

Originally Posted by WickyWoo

When it involves exposing them to more lawsuits, and is from a pretty reliable blogger they are. By suing, they would have to prove their injury, aka they'd have to open the books on their yields and everything else, which in the end would be far more disastrous

Or, as is most often the case, the entity shutting down the blog, because they don't want to do with the suit, or can't afford to, even if they were in the right.

I still maintain my view, sorry. Article isn't saying anything that wasn't already known or believed. It's done through anonymity [on both parties], so there's actually real accountability added or resultant.

I could post a blog entry on my live space, talking about how in confidence a Microsoft individual has said that the Zune line is being discontinued and no longer will be in production after May 08.

Would imagine it wouldn't get removed either, despite being on Microsoft's space.

[ add / edit ]
And of course, my backtrack, the blogger in question, obviously has alot more crediblity than my fictionous Zune Insider Reporter Blogger. And has done stories in the past that have panned out.

So I'm going ot say, while I don't necessarily trust the blog post, I'm not going to dismiss it as false out of hand. I'm just not going to accept it as true out of hand. Further, the point feels fairly moot to me, as those are issues that are pretty much already known or believed to be known. As an acknowledgement of cause, it'd be great, but since it's anonymous, it fails to be an acknowledgement of cause.

[ 2nd Edit ]
And I've determined that I like the non-word fictionous, it's a fun word to say.

[jw]

So anybody have any idea what the failure rate is for the PS3, Its been a year and I havent heard much other than the BS that surrounded it in the beginning about the excessive heat. I bought that CC advantage warranty when I purchased mine anticipating problems but thus far I havent had an issue. I experience more problems with the sony bdp-s300 than anything and its only a couple months old

[reiella]

Originally Posted by jwbbud

So anybody have any idea what the failure rate is for the PS3, Its been a year and I havent heard much other than the BS that surrounded it in the beginning about the excessive heat. I bought that CC advantage warranty when I purchased mine anticipating problems but thus far I havent had an issue. I experience more problems with the sony bdp-s300 than anything and its only a couple months old

The numbers floating around last year were around 0.02%. That said, not sure how accurate those are.

Sony, hasn't had to extend their warranty and take a finance hit to cover it, so we don't have the 'simple math' to come up with a rough number of the failure rate [or anticipated failure rate].

[Sling]

Originally Posted by jwbbud

So anybody have any idea what the failure rate is for the PS3, Its been a year and I havent heard much other than the BS that surrounded it in the beginning about the excessive heat. I bought that CC advantage warranty when I purchased mine anticipating problems but thus far I havent had an issue. I experience more problems with the sony bdp-s300 than anything and its only a couple months old

Ive heard PS3s got a 0.02%

[Galley]

Epic Fail