ZDNet has an nice detailed article on the repair woes some Xbox 360 owners are experiencing.  Knock on wood, my console so far has been doing okay.  I even risk my 30-hour frag sessions without the use of that external cooling fan system (!!).  I mean, I’ve had my share of annoyances with the system–I spent an hour trying to figure out how to upgrade my Core system to play Halo…burning CDs with software patches since we didn’t have a long enough wire, etc. etc., only to find out that while their website indicates you can use the base system to play old Xbox games…you really can’t.   I had to take the damn thing back and get the upgraded version, but ohh well.  And it is annoying that my Wii, which cost half as much, has built in Wi-Fi and wireless controllers, which are extra features on the Xbox–and don’t get me started on how frustrating it is to watch the green bars dance around the X logo while you wonder if and when your controller is actually going to sync with the system.

But I’m glad I’m not having to deal with the issues that these customers are going through.  It sucks to have to spend and hour on the phone with tech support convincing them you need a repair when you know your machine is messed up.  Then you have to wait for the mailer to arrive, and the package your system up, take it down to the post office or wherever, and hope it makes it to the repair center.  Ideally you have some kind of tracking and notification that lets you know things are happening.  And then when you finally get your stuff back you hope that the problem has actually been resolved.

I must say that’s one of the real advantages of the Genius Bar at Apple Stores–it’s pretty nice to bring your equipment right in to the tech and have them make a diagnosis on-the-spot.  And while I can’t say how good Microsoft’s tracking system is or is not, Apple’s system gives you updates on when your unit has been checked in for repairs, gives you status updates, and notifications of return shipping.  It’s also nice that Apple can make a lot of repairs in-house on their machines–it’s definitely nice to have your expensive gadget back in just a few days as opposed to weeks or months.

I’m already foreseeing lots of complaints with iPhone customers who are going to have similar experiences when they have to send off their phones.  While missing your Xbox for a few weeks isn’t the end of the world, not having your mobile phone could be a big problem for a lot of people.  I wonder if they’ll give service credit for the days you’re without your phone, much like they do for those with Xbox live accounts…I’d never thought about the fact that you could actually be losing money waiting for the repair of your gaming console.

I’m hoping that my system will be fine, and in the event I have to send it back I’m hoping I get it back in a relatively short amount of time.  Maybe now is the time for me to go try and hone my skills at Halo on Xbox Live…there has to be less competition out there at the moment…


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