The Final Word on the New Xbox 360 Experience
The New Xbox Experience (NXE) really is remarkable, because it is able to almost transform the Xbox 360 into a whole new console three years after its initial launch. The hardware is fundamentally the same, but the refreshed interface and updated features bring it in the present. The Xbox Avatars are fun and looking at your friends list (above) is much more interesting than a simple list.
Naturally, it was not at all possible for me to discuss all the upgrades that came along with the introduction of the New Xbox Experience, but even those that didn’t get a section of their own on this article are worth mentioning. For example, if you enjoy streaming videos from your Media Center PC or from a network-attached storage device, you will find that the Xbox media player is substantially faster than before. The experience with USB storage didn’t get the same shot of pep, but the USB connection can only be so fast.
The new Install to Hard Drive feature is also very appealing, particularly to owners of the 120GB Xbox 360 Elite. This feature allows you to install your disc-based games onto the Xbox hard drive, reducing wear and tear on the optical drive, and improving overall performance. You still need to have the disc in there, but the game will run from the hard drive rather than the game disc. Each installation is about 6GB in size.
Microsoft has done a great job with NXE. Now we just need to see if they can bring the same fervor and enthusiasm to Windows Mobile, Windows 7, and the Zune.
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