Nobody should buy a 360 ever.

[obonicus]

That's the problem with the console-as-casual-PC model. When something goes wrong, there goes everything. You've got to send it back to the manufacturer for a couple weeks, maybe a month. When your PC breaks, just pop over to your favorite store for a new power source/HDD/whatever, and you're up and running within a day or two.

That's for us, though, right? Or does Dell do same-day repair?

 

[fearsomepirate]

The pre-built PCs I've had didn't have special, supersecret custom guts, but I've never had a Dell break after only 13 months to know about those machines specifically (the four Dells in my office haven't moved for the last 2 years). Apple's a different story, but they build their machines solid. In fact, I've found most of the big PC vendors build their machines pretty solid. Turns out that if you get a reputation for your hardware exploding after a year, you don't keep customers for very long.

 

[obonicus]

The pre-built PCs I've had didn't have special, supersecret custom guts, but I've never had a Dell break after only 13 months to know about those machines specifically (the four Dells in my office haven't moved for the last 2 years). Apple's a different story, but they build their machines solid. In fact, I've found most of the big PC vendors build their machines pretty solid. Turns out that if you get a reputation for your hardware exploding after a year, you don't keep customers for very long.

True, and I'm the last person to want to defend the 360's reliability, but that's not what you were saying. You were saying that you can just replace parts in a PC. Which is true, but a lot of people will use Dell's warranty and support -- if that was used as the center of their living-room, they'll be SOL anyway.

 

[fearsomepirate]

Most off-the-shelf PCs have either a 90 day or 1 year warranty. If the PSU or something blows after 13 months (which is highly unlikely), you just go to Best Buy and get a replacement. Besides, I'm talking to other B3D posters, not some imaginary Joe Q Public.

 

[Richard]

This thread seems to have run its course. If anyone has a terribly important piece of advice to give to RancidLunchmeat wrt his broken console, please do so with a PM.