I have seriously been considering a 360, since there's really nothing to play on the PS3 (typical of a recently launched system), but these accounts of them dying really scare me. I don't trust MS customer service, especially when it's usually based overseas. It's really great talking to someone who you don't understand, and they don't understand you. :rolleyes:

The game library looks great, but having to deal with toasted units is not cool. Most of the people I know who have 360s have had them die at least once. One of them had his die six times!

Is there any preventive measure people can take to keep them from dying, or do they just seem to spontaneously combust with the "red rings of death"? I'd love to run out and get one, but this seriously freaks me out. I don't want to pay $400+ for a potential paperweight after the warranty ends, and I don't want to have to pay MS for an extended warranty.

I'm no fanboy, I just care about good gaming, and RELIABLE gaming. I don't care who makes it.

I love my X360, but reliable is not a word I'd probably use to describe it. There are definately issues with the failure rate of the system. I'm not saying that yours will fail if you get one, only that its a possibility. MS is fixing the systems at no charge, mostly to keep things under wraps. Many people will tell you that those of us who have had problems are the ones to blame...right up until their system fails also. I would not go as far as to tell anyone not to get the X360 because it is a great system. I just think people should know the truth.

So you know that the 360 has issues. Use that to your advantage if you decide to purchase one. Research MS's current warranty policy. If you don't like it, purchase a store warranty. Research that also.

For me, I'm holding out until possibly this holiday season. To me, there's no incentive to buy it now rather than later (exclusive games coming late summer & fall). I'd really rather not buy the console twice and deal with those hassles. Hopefully I'll get a 65nm chip, better drive, better 360 design out of the wait. Emphasis on "hopefully".

Purchase an extended warranty if you are concerned.

Thanks,

Kyser