Xbox 360 Messenger Kit hands-on

This year's Xbox 360 Spring Dashboard Update brought MSN Messenger contact-list integration to Xbox Live, but many of us have been waiting for Microsoft to release the chatpad accessory before making full use of the service. Microsoft knows that messaging isn't going to be widely used on the Xbox 360 unless the system has an input device to make texting easier for those of us who don't keep USB keyboards on the coffee table.

Xbox 360 Messenger Kit.

Xbox representatives dangled the chatpad in front of us when they first announced the Spring Update back in April but waited until E3 2007 to announce its availability. We now know that anxious texters will be able to get their very own Xbox 360 Messenger Kit for US$22.5 from http://www.zeromartz.com/chatpad-for-xbox-360-live-messenger-keypad-p-1049.html .

The Messenger Kit will include the keyboard chatpad and a new wired headset. The chatpad is designed to slide into the base of the Xbox 360 gamepad. The pad feels a little awkward as you fit it into place, but it snaps on with a satisfying click as the pad's plastic retention pegs find their corresponding holes on the gamepad. The snug fit makes the pad feel like it's a part of the gamepad. The unit adds some weight to the controller, but the heft seems manageable. We played a few games with the chatpad installed and found that it didn't interfere with game controls. The edge of your palms will rest on the left and right sides of the chatpad, but you'll still be able to use the buttons and analog sticks just fine.

The chatpad is designed to slide into the base of the Xbox 360 gamepad.

The chatpad itself feels solid. The keys provide adequate, clicky feedback and are spaced well enough for fast typing. It uses a standard QWERTY layout, and many of the keys have special alternate values that you can activate using the green and amber keys on the bottom left and bottom right of the chatpad. The pad also has a messenger button that can open up the messaging window onscreen. For players who like to game in the dark, the pad has a built-in backlight that will illuminate the keyboard whenever a key is pressed. We tried plugging a USB Xbox 360 gamepad with the chatpad into a PC desktop system, but we couldn't get Windows to recognize the chatpad as a text input device.

The chatpad has a headset pass- through jack at the base of the unit, but the single 2.5mm audio jack can't accept the triple-pronged connector on the old headset. That's probably why Microsoft bundled a new headset with the chatpad. Aside from the audio connector change, the new headset is almost identical to the original except the microphone mute and volume controls have moved from the base of the cable connector to an inline module. Older Xbox headsets and 2.5mm mobile headsets still work with the chatpad. We were able to plug our Plantronics Halo 2 headset into the chatpad without a problem.

The chatpad has a headset pass-through jack at the base of the unit.

The Xbox 360 Messenger Kit looks to be a solid product for system owners interested in taking advantage of the Xbox 360's communication options. Players who stick to gaming and voice chat won't need to pick up the chatpad, but the peripheral might become more compelling if Microsoft were to release more text-heavy applications on the 360, such as a Web browser, for example.

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Xbox 360 Slim Impressions and Comparison

I wasn't lucky enough to be one of the game journalists or bloggers who were given a free Xbox 360 "S" (aka Slim) at the end of Microsoft's E3 presentation so I had to go out and get one the old fashioned way.  I called around on Friday and found a local GameStop in Duluth, GA that had some in-stock and traded in my refurbished launch Xbox 360 that had survived since March of 2006 along with some accessories and games for the new version of the console.  I spent the weekend putting it through its paces by looking at what's new, and what's missing along with how it looks, sounds, and performs.

Case Design
The new Xbox 360 isn't so much "slim" now as it is shorter.   Moving the hard drive from a snap-on caddy to an internal slot helped take about an inch off the total height of the console while they only managed to shave off a little of the width.  The case is made of black glossy plastic that looks more at home in a home theater setting but will attract fingerprints and dust.  It's also very reflective as you can see in the pictures below.
The power and disk tray buttons are touch sensitive now instead of require a physical push.  It's a nice addition and gives a pleasing "ding" to indicate that something has been activated.  The return of the DVD tray is a bit disappointing however.  A slot-loading DVD drive would have been nice.

 

New Ports
The Xbox 360 "S" adds a few new ports to the back of the console.  One of the more welcome additions is a S/PDIF optical out.  Previous models had the optical out sitting on the housing of the A/V plug which caused problems for those who needed to route digital sound differently than with HDMI.  Of course, there's also the "Kinect ready" port which will allow the Kinect motion-control camera to hook directly into the Xbox 360 "S" without the need of a separate power supply.

 

One of the curious additions is the two new USB ports on the rear.  The fact that there are more USB ports isn't the curious part so much as where they are placed.  These new ports are actually replacing the memory card slots (which were USB based) that previously sat on the front of the console along with two USB ports.  With Microsoft scrapping the memory cards and allowing up to two USB thumbdrives for storage, it would have made more sense to have these ports on the front where they are easily accessible.  The two ports on the front can quickly get eaten up with peripherals and USB storage devices and reaching around to the back of the console to plug these items in is not an ideal solution.
Heat
One of the nice new features of the console is the move to the unified Valhalla chipset and a single larger and quieter fan blowing air out of top of the console when laying flat.  While this greatly helps quiet the console, there is still a big hot spot on the top when it is laying flat where the heat generated is coming out from the vents. I don't have access to a thermometer but I would say that putting your hand there is roughly equivalent to holding a freshly brewed cup of hot coffee.
The heat coming from the vents really doesn't feel all that different from the hot air you can feel coming from the rear vents on previous models.  However, I would strongly suggest not laying anything down on top of your Xbox 360 "S" that might partially or fully block the vents when it is laying flat.

 
The vent exhaust for the new Xbox 360

The good news is that the Xbox 360 will shut itself down before it reaches Red Ring of Death (RRoD) levels of heat according to reports.  I never experienced this in my time with the console despite the air-conditioning unit for the bottom two floors of my house being out this weekend.  I was pushing temperatures up around 85 degrees in the living room where this was tested but the console never shut down or got overly loud (outside of the DVD drive) which is a plus considering how hot it was in the house.
Noise
The launch Xbox 360 I traded in for the new version honestly sounded like a small vacuum cleaner while running games or movies and was banished to my kids' playroom when we unexpectedly got one of the newer "Jasper" Xbox 360s (the last model before the new 360).  The new 360 is slightly quieter than the Jasper model when playing games from the hard drive or streaming movies.  I don't have the best hearing in the world but I couldn't really hear the new Xbox 360 over the ambient noise in my living room while I could with the older model.  However, the biggest noisemaker on the Xbox 360 still remains, the DVD drive.
Alan Wake is a game that utilizes the full speed of the DVD drive due to heavy game data streaming. As a result, it is also one of the loudest games to play from the disk as the DVD drive never seems to get a break. Now, this is the only Xbox 360 game I have played that sounds this bad while playing so I created a comparison video below between Alan Wake running on the Xbox 360 "S" and Xbox 360 "Jasper" both from the disk drive and after installing it to the hard drive.

The noise is approximately at the same level and maybe even worse because it is a different pitch. Fortunately, the 250 GB hard drive has ample space to install games to so that the noise factor is kept to a minimum.  Again, this is the only game where I have experienced this level of noise and is certainly not indicative of other games.
It should also be noted that the problem with the DVD drive scratching disks when someone moves the system while it is turned on still remains.  So, the "don't move when the console is on" rule still applies.
Hard Drive
As previously mentioned, the hard drive has been moved to an internal compartment located on the underside next to the power plug.  Unfortunately, it is still a proprietary design that looks like it was constructed to discourage people using their own 2.5" had drives.  It is not readily apparent looking at the enclosure how one would open it up to get to the actual hard drive but I'm sure some handy modder is well on his way to figuring it out.

Opening the Xbox 360 "S" and checking out the 250GB internal hard drive

Microsoft hasn't made any mention of retail sales or prices for the new hard drive.  Expect to hear more though as we get closer to the Arcade version launching in the Fall.

Buy cheapest 250 GB Internal Hard Drive Disk HDD for Xbox 360 Slim only $56.00 http://www.zeromartz.com/250-gb-internal-hard-drive-disk-hdd-for-xbox-360-slim-p-1019.html

Power Supply
The power brick is still there instead of being moved to an internal design but it is noticeably smaller.  And well it should be because the power requirements for the Xbox 360 "S" has been reduced down to 135 watts and consumes less than half the power of the first Xbox 360 models.

 
Comparison shot between the 360 Slim power brick (top) and the 360 Jasper power brick (bottom) and plugs

Internal WiFi
One of the sticking points for the Xbox 360 since it was launched has been internal WiFi.  Both pro and anti-Xbox gamers have long scorned the lack of a built-in WiFi solution along with the cost of the official Xbox 360 wireless adapter.   Now that bullet point has finally been taken care of and the Xbox 360 supports 802.11 A, B, G, and N by default plus the ethernet port.  Setting the wireless connection up is a breeze and probably easier as it doesn't require an installation disk or console update to get it working.
Anything Else Missing?
Actually yes, there are two things missing. The Jaspers included 256MB to 512MB of on-board flash memory to store game saves which is now missing with newer model. It isn't something that will really be missed but we will have to keep an eye out on whether or not the eventual Arcade versions of the Xbox 360 revision includes on-board memory or if it will come with a smaller hard drive or nothing at all thanks to the added USB storage support.
The other item missing is a HDMI cable or HD cables of any kind.  Why Microsoft feels the need to leave this out of their HD console box remains a mystery.  Don't get ripped off by going to retail stores to get a HDMI cable at a high price.  Check out website like zeromartz.com for inexpensive HDMI cables.
Final Thoughts
My overall impression of the Xbox 360 refresh is positive.  The smaller, sleeker, and quieter design is welcome.   A quieter DVD drive would have been nice but I don't think that Microsoft can get past the laws of physics with how fast the DVD drive is made to spin on certain games.  Still, the buzzing noise with Alan Wake forces a hard drive install.  The two new USB ports placed on the front instead of the rear would have been a better design decision but is not a deal breaker.
The heat generated is also going to be something we'll have to keep an eye on given the consoles past history.  Just keep it in a well ventilated space and make sure you don't cover the vents.
The new Xbox 360 is a winner and I wholeheartedly recommend it for new purchasers or for people trading up from a 360 manufactured prior to the fall of 2008.  If you currently own a "Jasper" model with a 120GB or 250GB hard drive, I don't think you'll see a big enough improvement to justify the purchase unless you just like the new design.

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