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Wifi?

post #1 of 17
10/6/09 at 5:29pm
Thread Starter 
Forgive me if this is a stupid (or controversial) question, but is there some reason the 360 doesn't come with built in wifi?

I don't know much about the 360, but am redoing my guest room and thought it would be fun to include a 360. So I started researching the various 360 models, features, etc.

I was kinda surprised the 360 doesn't come with built in wifi. Isn't this the era where even toasters come with built in wifi? (OK, I just checked and there aren't wifi toasters --- yet; consider that an exaggerated metaphor.) Isn't the 360 supposed to be more than just a game machine - an always connected AV/internet/gaming/portal???

Look, I don't want this to be 360 bashing or anything. Seems like a pretty nifty gaming machine. The wifi-thing just seems weird to me, and I was wondering if there was a technical reason. Or is it just a quirk to be accepted?

I guess the bigger question is whether they are likely to add built-in wifi in future models?
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post #2 of 17
10/6/09 at 5:39pm
The omission does seem crazy these days but remember the 360 was designed 5 years ago and the landscape was much different then. Of course Microsoft could have added it to recent redesigns but they make a bunch of money off the wifi adapter so what's their incentive? Now I'm curious what the ratio of wired to wireless is in the install base.
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post #3 of 17
10/6/09 at 6:29pm
My initial thoughts were, by keeping a system as modular as possible, it gives people options. Thus 'theoretically' it should result in cost savings (i.e. hardcore gamers will likely want wired connection and thus do not need the wireless route). Similarly, there will be a new 'N' adaptor comming out that will increase range, possibly speed, giving gamers options.

At the end, MS is doing what I hate the most, build a lot of proprietary peripherals that cost too much. My only hope is that all the Xbox 360 peripherals will be 'forward' compatable with the next Xbox (cables, controllers, wifi adaptor, etc).
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post #4 of 17
10/7/09 at 12:03am
The thing was released to the public in 2005. An extremely small number of CE devices included wi-fi at that point, the vast majority of those being portable. The 360's lack of wi-fi really does make sense given the context of it being 4 years old.

As for your other question? No, wi-fi will not be built-in to any model of the 360 anytime soon. Four years after launch, the cheapest version is still $200. Reducing the price further is far more important than adding in what is essentially a throw-away feature.
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post #5 of 17
10/7/09 at 6:22am
Financial reasons most of all. Even if it was only an additional $5.00 in parts, that $5.00 x 35,000,000 boxes in cost to Microsoft so $175,000,000 in expenses or less profit which ever way you want to look at it. That's.....IF it was $5.00 in parts.

On top of that, 802.11/n has finally been ratified and now MS is releasing an 802.11/n wireless adapter. So you have the choice of using the built-in 10/100 ethernet port, buying the wireless 802.11/a/b/g adapter, or soon buying the 802.11/b/g/n adapter.

I don't need Wi-Fi in either of my 360s....so it doesn't matter to me that it's not built in.

To me Wi-Fi is good for portable devices and my 360's are pretty stationary so hardwiring them just makes more sense.
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post #6 of 17
10/7/09 at 4:46pm
Having wifi built in to me is a bad idea. Why build in something that not everyone will use? I don't want to pay for something I am not going to use. Not to mention with the new 802.11n standard how would I upgrade to it? Crack it open? Buy a new console with 802.11n built in? Doesn't make much sense. If this was a mobile device then I can see the big deal of them not having wifi but it isn't a mobile device. If you are upset about the price of the MS wireless adapter then just buy your own.

I have a PS3 and PSP and I don't use the wireless on the PS3 at all. I either connect directly to the PS3 with the USB cable when I am home and if I am not at home then I use remote play.
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post #7 of 17
10/8/09 at 11:52pm
MS wouldn't past those saving onto you so your gonna pay either way.
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post #8 of 17
10/10/09 at 10:25am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the info. Not sure I buy all the arguments, but it is what it is.

As a follow-up, what do I miss out on if I don't hook it up to the internet? On-line play is gone obviously. But I'm fine with that.

How are updates handled?
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post #9 of 17
10/10/09 at 10:56am
Hard-wiring to your network is ideal for online gaming. Therefore, building in wifi would increase the price for something that many will not use.
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post #10 of 17
10/10/09 at 11:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Salmoneous View Post

Thanks for the info. Not sure I buy all the arguments, but it is what it is.

As a follow-up, what do I miss out on if I don't hook it up to the internet? On-line play is gone obviously. But I'm fine with that.

How are updates handled?

Updates are through internet, plus there's tons of demos to download. If you build a friends list, you can see who's on doing what, chat or form a party. It makes it feel like there's a world out out, even if you are just playing single-player games. And if you have a gold membership and Netflix, you can stream to your Xbox.

Even though I rarely use Live features (demo downloads mainly), I wouldn't want to go back to not being connected.
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post #11 of 17
10/11/09 at 6:29am
You honestly think MS would charge an extra $5 if wifi is included? You think the fact that all the consoles are priced in $50 increments (round 49.99 to 50) is a coincidence? You think 305/255 is going to look good next to a 300 PS3/250 Wii? I doubt they make enough off the adapter to lower the console price $50.
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post #12 of 17
10/11/09 at 7:24am
If you look in the thread to "$200 to burn" page three theres alot of talk about xbox live
Heres a quote from Daekwan

Quote:


1) There are over 30 million xbox 360's sold.. and last I read something like 14 million unique xbox live users. Considering plenty of people have 2 or more gamertags that means that figure is alot lower. Simple math would mean the MAJORITY of xbox360's have never been put online. But I'll let you do your own math.

Theres also alot of people who put their friends 360 online just to get updates. I've did this for several friends. When I visit them, I bring my WiFi adapter.. connect to a neighbors wifi router and update their console. Other than that.. they dont have broadband internet access. Im not sure of the exact number of homes that have broadband internet, but I'd estimate that figure is only about half the homes in America.

So one could easily say that not even HALF of xbox users are online. And of those half how many use Wi-fI?

If I were Microsoft I wouldn't be in any hurry do ad a wi-fi adapter to my 360's
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post #13 of 17
10/11/09 at 11:11am
The 2005 excuse if pretty funny in light of MS adding HDMI, which had far less penetration than 802.11G.


The reason they didn't add it then or now? So they can sell it to you. The 360 is cheap to get into, but the cost add up fast. Then even removed the HDMI cable from the Elite, that was one talking point that was used to show MS's generosity.
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post #14 of 17
10/11/09 at 11:26am
Tgable is right on this one. Its all about extra profit for MS.

From the consumer stand point, wireless is something thats always a nice extra. But isnt necessary to play online. I have the wireless adapter and still dont use it. I prefer wired for a little latency as possible. I do the same with my PS3.. hardwired.

The only time I use my wireless adapter is when I go over a friends house who doesnt have a broadband connection at all. We use my wifi adapter to connect to his neighbors wifi network that is unsecured.
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post #15 of 17
10/11/09 at 11:38am
yep... even a $1 hdmi cable adds up real quick when you give away 10 million of them.
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post #16 of 17
10/11/09 at 11:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by deveng View Post

My initial thoughts were, by keeping a system as modular as possible, it gives people options. Thus 'theoretically' it should result in cost savings (i.e. hardcore gamers will likely want wired connection and thus do not need the wireless route). Similarly, there will be a new 'N' adaptor comming out that will increase range, possibly speed, giving gamers options.

At the end, MS is doing what I hate the most, build a lot of proprietary peripherals that cost too much. My only hope is that all the Xbox 360 peripherals will be 'forward' compatable with the next Xbox (cables, controllers, wifi adaptor, etc).

The only peripheral that I can think of the worked for multiple generations of a console is the Driving force wheel for the PS2 which works on the PS3. I'm sure there are others but not many. So I'd shocked if any peripheral from the 360 would work on the next system from MS. I'd even guess that the headset will go back to some kind of puck connection just so the 360 ones won't work.
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post #17 of 17
10/12/09 at 5:03pm
I was going to answer "profit" to your question but to do so after reading all the points made would be trite.

I sign on every time I log in and mostly play SP campaigns.

I do like the Netflix feature (however limited), demos, and other bits and pieces of entertainment. Was on wifi for years and just recently went hard wired.

Now about that toaster...
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