The elephant in the room for any discussion of the official Xbox 360 wireless-n adapter from Microsoft is price. In comparison to USB 802.11n adapters for Windows PCs which tend to ship with MSRPs of 50-80 dollars USD (and often retail for much less due to high margins for retailers), the Microsoft adapter lists for 99.99 USD (and can typically be found for just under 90). This fits in with the already established "Microsoft overcharges" narrative that found its voice with the high price of Xbox 360 hard drives. However, this review isn't around to stoke that fire. What I'll look at is what the adapter does, and whether it's worth the money that Microsoft is charging for the people who should be taking a long hard look at it. You'll know by end if you're part of that target audience. This review focuses less on the 802.11n adapter's differences with its 802.11b/g predecessor, and more on how it stacks up to the default wired solution.
Design
Xbox 360 Wireless-n Adapter.
If nothing else, the Microsoft adapter fits the Xbox 360 well from a visual standpoint. The matte black surface matches the Elite's finish, and the adapter clips on to back of an Xbox 360 painlessly. A short USB cord stretches just far enough to reach the rear USB port of the Xbox 360 next to the Ethernet port. This can be nice, as it's great not to have a lot of slack cable hanging from the back of your system from an aesthetic point of view. However, it does make the life of any HD-DVD add-on owners out there more complicated, since this is typically where the HD-DVD add-on is connected. If this is you, the adapter also has a pair of "feet" that swing out from one side that allow the adapter to sit on a flat surface without issue. If you're clinging to...