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In the Xbox 360, Microsoft has successfully extended the lifespan of its console well beyond what anyone could have reasonably expected back when it was launched in 2005.
Granted there have been hardware updates and the arrival of Kinect, but neither has sustained the machine's longevity as much as the services that are provided.
The NXE could be seen as Microsoft dipping its toe in the multimedia waters, but with this most recent dashboard update the Xbox 360 truly is a one-stop-shop for every conceivable piece of entertainment content you could hope to be pumped to a living room television.
We liked:
The hardware on the Xbox 360 S is now a device you'd happily have nestled underneath the TV in your living room. It's slimmer, sleeker and most importantly nearly silent – ensuring it won't be whirring away during the quieter moments of a film or TV show.
Xbox Live is still the leading online gaming platform and it now boasts more instantly accessible content than ever before and a search engine capable of filtering results intelligently and with the minimum of fuss.
The new dashboard is cluttered, but it's as elegant a system as you're likely to find for arranging the sheer bulk of the content now available.
We disliked
There's little customisation of the new dashboard beyond a new background. We'd like to be able to arrange our most used apps and contents on our home page for easy access.
Voice control requires stilted speech rather than a natural flow, meaning it takes some getting to grips with. Also, why can't we use voice control on the Xbox Live headset we've been using for six years?
Verdict
In light of the recent software updates, the new Xbox 360 is probably the most complete and convenient box that you can stick under your telly. Not only does it play the latest video games, but it offers a huge amount of other content in one slickly designed interface.
As more and more content fills the system, it's only going to become more essential. What's more, the lack of a Blu-Ray drive now seems almost inconsequential, with the Zune Video Marketplace filled with 1080p content that can be discovered and streamed or downloaded in a matter of moments.
The only sticking point will be the requirement for Xbox Live Gold for an increasing amount of what's presented on the dashboard. Still, as long as you are the comfortable with the concept of subrscribing at all it still comes off as a reasonable deal and is by no means mandatory to take advantage of marketplace content.
Whether you're a gamer or not, it's time to start seriously considering the Xbox 360 as more than just another place to play the latest Call of Duty or FIFA game.
