Should original Xbox review be updated to reflect its poor reliability?

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pacman000
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Re: Should original Xbox review be updated to reflect its poor reliability?

Postby pacman000 » June 12th, 2017, 10:00 am

SpiceWare wrote:Wonder how much the problems with the "newer" systems are due to RoHS. I used to work in electronics manufacturing in the mid 90s to late 00s and becoming RoHS compliant was a major undertaking. Major issue with RoHS was the banning of lead in solder, the lead was added to prevent the growth of whiskers which could eventually short circuit the equipment.

Danger to lead-free electronics: tin whiskers

They've ruined missiles, silenced communications satellites and forced nuclear power plants to shut down. Pacemakers, consumer gadgets and even a critical part of a space shuttle have fallen victim.
The culprits? Tiny splinters — whiskers, they're called — that sprout without warning from tin solder and finish deep inside electronics. By some estimates, the resulting short-circuits have leveled as much as $10 billion in damage since they were first noticed in the 1940s.

Now some electronics makers worry the destruction will be more widespread, and the dollar amounts more draining, as the European Union and governments around the world enact laws to eliminate the best-known defense — lead — from electronic devices.

"The EU's decision was irresponsible and not based on sound science," said Joe Smetana, a principal engineer and tin whisker expert with French telecommunications equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent SA. "We're solving a problem that isn't and creating a bunch of new ones."


I'd never heard of that! It worries me; could it ban sales of old/used electronics too? California has their own version of the law. It looks like CRT screens larger than 4" are illegal if they don't meet certain standards. I don't see an exception for older devices. Wouldn't that ban sales of most old arcade games or classic TV's like the Philco Predicta?

GTS
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Joined: January 29th, 2017, 2:43 pm

Re: Should original Xbox review be updated to reflect its poor reliability?

Postby GTS » June 19th, 2017, 6:01 pm

I second this notion. I was in the middle of playing Rayman 3 and the thing just stopped reading discs (CD drive problem). Up till then I would occasionally have a frozen startup screen. I ordered another Xbox, but that one didn't work either (hard disk drive failure). I ended up taking the hard drive off the old one and putting it in the new one, and everything works now. However, I believe it'll fail again one day, so I try not to play it.

Paul Campbell
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Re: Should original Xbox review be updated to reflect its poor reliability?

Postby Paul Campbell » June 20th, 2017, 7:47 pm

Poor reliability relative to what? An optical disc-based console that is multiple generations removed? Are we comparing it to solid state, cartridge-based consoles? If you ask me, lasting until now, after running hours and hours on end through years and years, seems fairly respectable. To me, poor reliability is the Red Ring of Death happening to the 360 while it was on its initial run.

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MoarRipter
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Re: Should original Xbox review be updated to reflect its poor reliability?

Postby MoarRipter » June 21st, 2017, 2:49 pm

Paul Campbell wrote:Poor reliability relative to what? An optical disc-based console that is multiple generations removed? Are we comparing it to solid state, cartridge-based consoles? If you ask me, lasting until now, after running hours and hours on end through years and years, seems fairly respectable. To me, poor reliability is the Red Ring of Death happening to the 360 while it was on its initial run.


How about poor reliability compared to its contemporaries? I've had two original Xboxes exhibit this problem before each hit its ten year mark yet my other disc-based consoles from that era, Gamecube, PS2, Dreamcast, and even older disc-based systems such as the Saturn all still work beautifully and those systems are going on and exceeding twenty years old. This issue with the power/eject button board solder traces on the original Xbox is a known issue with those systems as they age. When I can't play the console because it wants to turn on or off by itself, or the eject button causes it to turn off and back on, and the console isn't even ten years old, that's unusually poor reliability for a console and I think it should be reflected in the review. Critic's other console reviews also mention long term reliability issues, why not the Xbox review as well.

GTS
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Joined: January 29th, 2017, 2:43 pm

Re: Should original Xbox review be updated to reflect its poor reliability?

Postby GTS » June 21st, 2017, 10:06 pm

Paul Campbell wrote:Poor reliability relative to what? An optical disc-based console that is multiple generations removed? Are we comparing it to solid state, cartridge-based consoles? If you ask me, lasting until now, after running hours and hours on end through years and years, seems fairly respectable. To me, poor reliability is the Red Ring of Death happening to the 360 while it was on its initial run.


You can simply make the argument by comparing it to the other consoles of that generation. They are breaking down faster than Gamecube and PS2. Heck, I found a Gamecube on the side of the road in the rain, with damage to the outer shell from an impact, and it still worked.

Tron
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Re: Should original Xbox review be updated to reflect its poor reliability?

Postby Tron » June 24th, 2017, 11:24 pm

I agree the GameCube is well built, but the PS2 is shoddy junk. I'm on my 6th PS2. One could argue that I got one or two clunkers, but 5? Three fats and two slims. I have either really really really bad luck with PS2's or they just aren't built to last. Also of my 6 PS2's only 2 were purchased used and one of the used ones is my current working one.


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