Monday or Tuesday an auto update turned all of our Windows Vista computers remote access setting to “Do not allow remote access!”

This is greatly annoying and took me 4 days to figure out. Sad I know but in XP the error message lets you know it’s disabled where as in Vista they’ve changed it and you get a computer not found.

The Firewall was also reset for Remote access port exception.

However, on a bright note Live Mesh came to save the day and allowed Remote Access regardless of the Remote Access setting. What a great product/platform Microsoft I cherish the day I don’t need a workstation or any locally installed software.

Sign up free at www.mesh.com

This software also allows you to sync data to a safe place at Microsoft Datacenter or any number of other computers, mobile phones and mac’s you use.

Every week, some weeks everyday I have to reboot this router to get wireless access to connect correctly on Wireless G,B or N and also required when Xbox Live ports lockup. This is very common on these linksys devices. With 18,000,000 Xbox users you’d think Cisco could put some TLC into these products they keep telling us are good for business too.

 

Yeah right I want to buy a router that requires my clients to reboot it more then weekly! Cisco should be ashamed!

 

I’ve waited and waited for them to fix this product but nothing is being done. I had better performance with the WRT open source project then with Linksys’s own ISO. This is sad cisco please step up your quality and fix these poor product. A network router like this should NEVER need rebooted!!!

 

I’ve put up with this and waitws for more than a year! With no ISO updates or even an attempt to fix these performance issues. Yet the Forums are covered in complaints and poor performance reports.

 

Seems Linksys has lowered themselves to Dlink’s level of performance.

I don’t want a replacement it’s an ISO issue not hardware! Reboots shouldn’t solve a hardware problem this is just poor programming. The windows firewall never needs a reboot and it can handle all of the xbox ports without lockups, they can work on wireless none stop but yet your hardware box with it’s own ISO can’t stay online for more then a day or handle a UPNP Locked port without a reboot!

 

Maybe it’s time to replace your linksys router with an ISA server seems Microsoft can get the job done when Cisco can’t anymore.

Another post at: http://forums.linksys.com/linksys/board/message?board.id=Wireless_Routers&message.id=107391&jump=true#M107391

There is no excuse for this! No, this is not a problem with your computer this is a failure in the Linksys OS in this box. If you can reboot (unplug/replug) in the device and everything starts to work then the device is locking up, this is a result of poor programming. I’ve had these problems for a year weekly to daily and still no fix.

 

If it’s new take it back and get something else. I hate and have had problems with D-Link too over the years I’d try Microsoft line of routers. Sad to say Linksys was the best before Cisco took them over, not sure why Cisco getting involved made the quality go down cisco’s branded firewall and router are some of the best. But their Linksys brand has failed horribly.

 

Xbox Live port lockups - weekly

Wireless doesn’t broadcast and isn’t connectabe, must reboot router to connect on B, G or N.

Poor pings and Wireless performance, I have a 15MB connect but this router typically can’t get  past 3MB wireless and 8MB wired. But I get 15MB without the router.

Your Ads… You shouldn’t be saying “you are ready to lead” You should be saying “I have been leading!” “Obama and Clinton are ready to lead but “You have been leading!”

You should be talking in your Ads, not some other person about you, your Ads should be you telling us about the issues, issues by issue. Tell us the American people why we should vote for you, face to face, person to person.

Voting is personal so your Ads should be you talking to us as a friend saying “this is the plan and this is how I’m leading!”

Taxes and Flat Tax are a major issue.

I’ve run more and more in to this problem with Keyboards and Mice related to a lock up of one of them. This is during normal user activities and results in the Left Mouse button not opening a program but the programs properties. You can still right click and do open however this is a pain.

I learned the solution in Dos when I was 7 or so before Windows 3.1 was released. Credit should go to Nathan Wilcox who is my cousin and showed me this trick to unlock and reset the keyboard and mouse from Basic but it still applies today in any Windows, Linux or Dos OS.

Fix: You must do all of these at the same time. Left Hand = LCtrl + LAlt + LShift while Right Hand = RCtrl + RAlt + RShift = Keyboard and Mouse reset.

To clarify hold down all Ctrl+Alt+Shift at the same time.

 

 

What about the cities with no or little public transportation? Thanks Bill Pascrell for ‘hoping’ there’s something in place for the AMERICAN’s how are suffering now while you wait for something that benefits your pocket book and screw the American people. He works for us the people and more than 50% of America is saying drill or we will fire you!!!!

 

I’m done with these people, they fix the problem or we remove them from office. This is the worst congress and house in our history they talk about bush but are many times worse themselves as they themselves are killing the American dream in their failed policies trying to force GREEN down our throats! Green and people like minded as Bill Pascrell will be the economic collapse of the American Dream but not for them as they get rich on our backs. Fire them all and start over with a new House and Congress from the ground up. Change to one 8 year term and you’re out!

 

Show me the proof that anything congress does will change the climate! until then tell them to shut up and sit down. My generation is on the way to stop these fools and bring accountability to choices made by congress and the house. Bill Clinton should be confronted and flogged for not allow drilling 10 years ago when we demanded it then and this wouldn’t be an issue. While is there no accountability for failed policies? Healthcare, welfare, retirement accounts, school system… on and on failed after failed policies but no accountability. If your bill or law fails you should loss your benefits just like the people you screwed are and answer for those failings!

 

Why are companies having to answer for their successes and not more politicians answering for their failures?

 

While doesn’t anyone talk about the real issue, everything we face right now is because of the Green hippie continued movement of the 60’s.

Can’t drill,

can’t refine,

can’t use nuclear,

forced CO2 control

 

I don’t see anything related to FREEDOM being talked about by Congress or the House. It’s scary when American FREEDOM and American Free trade isn’t even a goal of our leaders? But it was the number 1 goal of our fathers.

 

it’s simple, if you can’t use deet then you die of west nile or malaria! Cause and effect, 750,000 children die each year because of Green policies yet no proof has been given for why, where, how or when real deaths will be caused by Global warming it’s all speculation Bill Pascrell believes and it betting on yet he wants to stop free the free market because they are betting on failures of Congress and the House!

 

We’re singing bye bye miss american dreams
we drove to the bank but the bank was dry

now we’re losing our homes left and right
because the politicians can’t make a dime

so we sing bye bye miss american dreams
we loved for some long but now you have to fly

we wish you could stay but we don’t have a say
the greedy people have made you this way

so we wave our hands and redden our eyes
until the day we must die…  singing

bye bye miss american dreams where have you gone
but to greener sky’s killing you from inside

saying this will be the days of our lives
but the greener days still brought more pain
because that’s the curse of our lives

so before we die we singing
now is the time of our lives
don’t let them pass bye

 

Amazing Xbox 360 has now added the master pc game Civ. May the worlds bow before my thrown.

The Revolution has started!

• Red is my reply to the Comments made to my Blog post
• None bolded black is

Microsoft created the Xbox to be the center of your Entertainment World, as a standalone device and as an Entertainment Extender from your PC or Windows Home Server. Nether, fit in to the coming world of Cloud based processing or Mesh Networking. I am currently moving all of my file based content to the Mesh Cloud and intend to move my Xbox 360 content as well in time.

If you haven’t been paying attention PC’s and workstations are going away because there is little need for heavy duty processing unless gaming or design. Because few of us need design systems it is only logical that the device we use for Entertainment needs to be able to meet our social needs as well.

If you don’t believe me: Quickbooks Online, Adobe Photo Shop online, Adobe Acrobat online, Office Live, Outlook Anywhere, and all Hosted Exchange and SharePoint services added with DFS or Mesh Network give us the easy question why have a laptop or PC when you could have your Entertainment system and a Multi-touch LCD screen with a wifi card. You didn’t notice the Zune doesn’t even need a PC and you didn’t ask why not because Microsoft, AOL, Yahoo and Google are all building Host based software.

 

[quote user="DarkStar33Cdn"]Its called program scope, xbox live is not meant to become a ubber solution by throwing every piece of technology at someone at once. It has a very narrow job (facilitate games online) and it does that well. This is a critical success factor for any solution.

The general rule is to keep it simple and that a system that does everything cannot do it well. Lets do these quick:

I still cannot manage any type of social network on Xbox Live, even when Microsoft owns Live Spaces.
The 360 is not a computer. Use a PC. -

Yet Sony is addressing this issue and the demands for it. They themselves disagree with you. You sound like the people that say it’s ok not to have any co op in a game. Fine then we wont play it. The whole point is to interact with REAL PEOPLE thats entertaining not just a game.

Cell phone’s could come with just voice thats what they are for in your argument. But they don’t because the consumer like me demanded more. Sometimes like on battery this might have a negitive effect but this is the center of our Entertainment life but it’s missing tons of features.

I still cannot manage any type of clan or pro grouping system, no top friends nothing
This is currently based upon game. The developer will support this if they decide to include this. (see COD4)

Myspace has show these as features the public knows how to use and enjoys, why not have them. I hate this question why and not why not? This is AMERICA it’s called freedom and the option to choice.

A cell phone could come with just voice but it DOESN’T because people need and want to be able to do more.

I still cannot share video mail with family and friends, and have almost no video effect when video conf
The 360 is not a computer. Use a PC.

Why when each of my friends bought this stupid Video cam for what? Microsoft has a product for this but the features are missing the make it 100%

Oh space is a problem? I can get 6GB of Email space on Live but I can’t send a 20 second low res compressed video to a friend?

I still cannot video and audio conf with more than 1 person on each side, no room Mic
Agreed. Feature Request - Pending Implementation?

Maybe the Rockband Mic might work but there is no boost option for room monitoring.

I still cannot 3 way call (a simple feature free on land lines and cell phones but not xbox live)
You pay for your POTS provider for that 3 way ability. Microsoft is not a telecom.

I don’t pay for POTS I have cells and Microsoft does sell telecom software and equipment, even full voice controlled software were you can call in and get all of your email read to you, write emails over the phone with your voice, change appointment with your voice and so much more

As well they’ve built the VoIP network to support in game chat with up to 16 people at one time but I can’t get 4 or 5 people in a chatroom? It’s already built and free.

 
I still cannot meet in a open 3D world with my friends and family
World contained within games

NO, this is more why can’t I interact with a real person in GTA4 or any other game in a virtual setting, PC gamers have this and have had it for while. There is no reason we can’t have something like this too? Sony Home.
I still cannot access my gaming statistics online or anywhere
Stats are game specific (metric tracking has to be coded into the game). See Halo 3.

I agree, Halo did a good thing so why don’t I as a customer have the right to see these stats in other games and why don’t devoplers give us this access. GTA4 has tons of stats but no one else can ever see them for them to be used. 360voice.com should be able to highlight my 30/1 in COD4 or that amazing across the map pistol kill but they can’t because the dev wont let them because we haven’t demanded it as a must have feature. I am!

As a customer I think this a crap!

I still cannot get gaming release dates, news or rate features or xbox live content
The 360 is not a computer. Use a PC. Also See Inside Xbox

It’s not a computer but we get MSN videos, It’s not a computer but… When I watch a game video I want to know all of the basic stats that are on xbox.com, co op, online players, other basic options, why should I have to watch the video here, then get off the xbox (what Microsoft doesn’t want) go to my computer to xbox.com just to get the info thats already listed in their own database? I hope you don’t work for Microsoft because you are the example of the problem, this isn’t forward thinking. Most the time everyone else but xbox.com doesn’t have the info or is wrong.

I still cannot access Video over IP tv (MSN Video performance on a 15MB cable is very poor and not Video over IP)
Micrsoft does not own this content. See US copyright rules. Also current infastructure network cannot support the required bandwidth of IPTV services.

I agree but they do control the contracts and have more then 16 Million users, if Hulu.com can get the rights to stream the media then Microsoft can. Direct tv doesn’t have the rights but they have a contract to stream On demand content for free.

I still cannot access web content from my Media Center with good performance.
I have 600GB of content I watch on a regular basis. The streaming works fine even with 18GB 1080p BR-DVD rips. SATA drives recommended to stream.

LOL funny, I have a 65″ 1080p and a 61 1080i. Media Center works great. The Internet Browser that works on the Xbox 360 Extender has poor performance because there is no Mouse or pointer style control in Media Center, a simple laser remote for projectors could solve this or allow the Xbox 360 remote to have a floating curser.

All of our 4x Xbox 360’s 2 Laptop’s and 3 Workstations use a Vista based Media Center with duel tuners, we have a dell server for content recording which has Raid5 on a gigabyte backbone then streams content with Media Guide to our phones and other devices.

Add to my list no HDTV card with HDMI input is coming but should have been here years ago.

There should be a yearly option for unlimited downloads of shows and movies from Xbox Live, no one wants to pay per movie...
Microsoft does not own this content. See US copyright rules.

I agree.
Section 2:

You tell my 10 year old daughter why she can’t watch hairspray day after day for a week because we can only rent it for 48 hours then we have to pay to rent it agein even after we’ve downloaded it? What are we paying for?
Microsoft does not own this content. See US copyright rules. Example: iTunes.

They MS buy NBC’s Hulu.com

But yet I’m spending $15 a month for netflix? Why doesn’t Microsoft take that money and give me FREE unlimited content from Xbox Live?
No such service exists yet because there is no market opportunity. Unless Microsoft purchases NetFlix (who now provides onling streaming with membership BTW). In addition you can display this content via your xbox with a WMP11 plugin.

sorry free unlimited of the content they do have

Add-ons for Media Center have been poor, with few useful applications, even fewer that work on extenders.
WMC support is typically done by OpenSource developers. See the NetFlix plugin.

I agree but I hate it because just like Linux it leaves the customer screwed looking for programs and features that should have been included in the first place.

Microsoft still needs to create content as AOL, Yahoo and Google are all finding out, you must still create content.

Even with the Xbox 360 I am yet to be able to use Microsoft Word on my Xbox 360, even when most USB Keyboards work great and Microsoft has Office Live in Beta
This is a terrible idea. The 360 is not a computer. Use a PC.

Why it’s already there online in Office Live ready to go. I think about the poor family with no pc, they could get a Xbox 360 for $350 and have all the entertainment, basic online needs and kids could still do basic school work.
I am unable to access my Microsoft Live Mesh dashboard and data from Xbox Live Dashboard on Mesh
The 360 is not a computer. Use a PC.

I think when more people understand the Mesh and it takes over this wont be a point.

I am unable to change the Dashboard Nav type (there should be a 3D option for Navigation in the Xbox 360 Dashboard)
The 360 is not a computer. Use a PC.

Sony has a 3D nav so does Vista, PSP, Microsoft Table Top, this is a must to support touch and multi touch like in vista and windows 7 based on hardware acclerated desktops. Which the xbox 360 is I assume based on the Webcam Desktop background.

Why can we have a webcam video background but not a 3D nav? It’s not a PC but we have a webcam video based desktop background, Vista doesn’t even have a that.

There are few Video Cam application, even fewer effect, no full screen for video conference….(this is just stupid) Should I go on with missing video features there’s a lot
The 360 is not a computer. Use a PC. Most good conference software is subscription/pay based.

This is amazing, why would I go to a 22″ monitor when I could video conferance on a 65″ one in a nice confertabile spot with my family and friends. We had 10 people on cam last night, I should tell them all to get around a computer?

I ask why not? Why can’t my laptop webcam video p2p to my xbox 360? This is America we have Microsoft Sync in cars, and you’re still giving me because it’s not a PC!

This is 2008 and I can’t get full screen video on my TV with a friend? Then I demand those profits are put directly back into the company for more research because I saw Cisco show a full 3D holigram of two people in a conf room last week transmitted across the world

http://www.musion.co.uk/Cisco_TelePresence.html

but I can’t get a full screen webcam video on my $450 Elite?

There is no touch screen support, also should include multi-touch support before Windows 7 does. Must be supported in media center!
Not a valuable feature as many people do not have touch screen displays (TV/Moniter)

I agree but this is coming and we need to make sure Multi-touch makes it into the XBox world!

Unable to use a Mouse or wireless style pointer or Wii style remote
The controller is wireless. This is not a Wii. Xbox games would simply not work with a non-standard interface. IMO pointer style controllers are a gimic.

Funny, have you used a 65″ TV? Have you tried to use the Internet Addon for Media Center with a Xbox 360 or Media Center Remote? It sucks because of one small thing there isn’t a mouse or a pointer. It’s 65″ a pointer would be the best. I hate mice. You know what would be better? A multi-touch screen where I can just pust the button!

I know this is hard, but come on. Our setup is a little more advanced then yours I know, but just think about it the Xbox 360 is still slated for another 2 to 4 years. My 65″ HDTV 1080 was only $1350 so more families will own one in the coming years if not this year after the US Tax Stimulus Checks and HD Spectrum change over. More families will want to be able to access their data from anywhere just like cell phones are allowing now. After they access their data they want to access others like the Microsoft Research Project WorldWide Telescope which is just amazing for families. You should check it out before you go on!

So you could have this pushed by a Xbox 360 over a 65″ 1080P in all it’s glory but you don’t have a mouse or pointer to control it!!!

Other new software and technologies like Microsoft Live Mesh allow you to access your data from any device anywhere. Vista includes Media Center in 2 versions of Vista for free making it’s on almost all non-business PC sold in the last almost two years with Vista. Thats 7% of all the total computers in the world! Which would match alot of the millions of Xbox 360 users.

The Internet Windows Vista Media Center Addon is free.

Most family would like to surf the internet together but can’t because of the limitations of their computers, but if they could with an Xbox 360 and Vista Media Center, they would want to have a pointer or mouse.

We use this now but it’s hard with the Nav system, it’s worst than the PSP Browser.

Unable to Backup my game data anywhere but a USB memory card (Mesh, DFS, MS Home Server integration…) and only sometimes, viva piñata still can’t be copied
The HDD can be copied to a computer with specific software and cables. Gamertag Recovery Service facilitates the remainder.
For the love, are you a robot, make it easy and simple. My lord, my 10 year old has an Xbox 360 she needs to be able to do this. My 40 year old brother has an xbox 360 he needs to be able to do this. The Mesh is the way to go.
Unable to stream video content for game previews, reviews…. Why must I download everything I want to watch even if just one time just to delete it a few minutes later, this is a great waste of bandwidth and storage.
Do a latency test on your ISP, you may not have a sufficent connection in terms of quality to facilitate this.

I get 32ms to 4.2.2.2 which is a multi-homed always server used by Cisco. You? I don’t have problems with performance, I have problems with the lack of content say something like a G4 tab with game news, reviews, previews, cheats, codes, game products for sale…  Why can’t we stream the game preview videos and not download the videos to the console. 
Why can’t I get Fox News or the News of my choosing on my Dashboard as a tab? Why no rss feeds?
The 360 is not a computer. Use a PC.

Yes, I know but my Cell Phone is not just a phone is it. The Mesh will change this crap. I could get this forum on my Xbox 360 right now and reply, read the posts all with just an RSS READER on the Dashboard without leaving my game!

Why can’t I Picture and Picture my duel tv tuners in Media Center?
Not related to xbox 360. WMC is also on its last legs, WHS will replace it very soon.

Why will home server change the features in the technology? Same Same.

Why are the music visuals so poor? Winamp style anyone, why can’t we control the effects in a visual editor and then save.
Low priority Item. No one cares.

The people that use them do which is everyone I know… everyone uses them on the weekends during cleaning and puts up with them. Please add more options and controls we aren’t KIDS anymore up there MICROSOFT we are adults now START giving us more options!

Oh, but Microsoft my 10 year old daughter (future customer) asks for a fish aquarium as a visual or screen saver for her Xbox 360. She says like in Windows XP Media Center 2005.

Why are there no advanced features, there are more than just stupid people using these tools and consol’s and we should have the right as consumers to have at least some control and advanced features. Just like in Windows you can default the settings stupid but please give us the options to control visual and feature based options.
The 360 is not a computer. Use a PC.

Hmm, doesn’t hold up your is not a computer… XNA would have killed that in one stop, they’ve made it more then just a PC it’s a Media Center, their just missing some need features for the future!.

I don’t care if the core of Xbox 360 OS runs in 64MB give us more options and make it run in 256MB. Same with Windows 7 you can make it lean by default but you better give us the advanced options too or we’re out.
Non sensical question. The xbox hardware works on a 32 bit level. The OS is stripped down to allow maximum performance for games.

Then make it into a 64-bit level and lets kick it up a notch or two. We’ve proven to Microsoft that we will fund their research and advancements in to the future now give us the added features you promised. You’ve taken it slow and had you learning process it’s time to step it up and start making a complete product.

Ultimately Microsoft we will demand a Web Browser on the dashboard.

Summary: Microsoft has focused over the last 3 years to connect all of their software together with Mesh Networking, SharePoint Services,Windows Mobile, Windows Media Server, DFS, XNA, CRM, Dynamices, Outlook Anywhere, all of the live services, Windows Home Server, Meeting Spaces, SharedView, virtual pc and all of the Visual Studio tools all work together in Microsoft’s world to their Praise they have done well to connecting all of their software packages together from different worlds to communicate and function together.
by CyberAxe

Overall 3/10
The xbox is not a PC and never should be.
Just because microsoft makes a product it does not have to be on the xbox (what about SQL Server 08?, Visual Studio Team Edition? Dynamics CRM? - stupid)
Microsoft does not own rights to copyrighted media and only acts as the delivery method within the terms of the copyright owners.
Implementing features from an operating system currently 4 years out is not high priority.
The xbox is not a PC and never should be.[/quote]

We demand as customers, gamers and contributors to the entertainment industry these rights:

*I have 4 Xbox 360’s because we have to rotate 1 out every 6 months to send back to Microsoft, I have an elite ready to go now waiting on the box because it overheats after 10 minute of GTA4.

1. It’s not just a game, we have the right to a reasonable expectation of quality of programing and equipment operation no matter the content being access or used.
2. We are customers no matter our age, sex, race or creed. As customers we have the right to be treated with respect and in a timely manor. As customers we have the right to comment, rate and hold accountable the developers and corporations that make up the entertainment industry to quality  products no matter if software or console.
3. We have the right to a reasonable expectation of privacy, we have the right to not be monitored by video, audio or on-line messaging in anyway during streaming or non-streaming messaging.
4. We have the right to a reasonable expectation of growth and feature advancement. We have the right to submit suggestions for features and services and should be respect as a customer request.
5. We have the right to a reasonable expectation of up time and quality services, including all core services related to log-in, sign-up, match making, account management and customer support. We understand that not all problems are related to Xbox Live or PSN and there are many devices that could cause intermittent problems related to bandwidth, latency and service access.
6. We have the reasonable expectation that service growth, development planning and security concerns are being reasonable met and solution will be in place in an reasonable expectation of time before the quality of service degrades.
7. We have the right not to be harassed, abused and threatened on-line at anytime. We have the right to have the tools and options to block, manage and remove these treats.
8. We have the right to demand active action against racism, underage gaming, team-killing, cheating and hacking. We have the right to report these types of actions.
9. We have the right to expect adult programing, adult subjects and the tools and reporting to keep children out of these types of programs and games. 
10. We have the right to expect an active campaign to teach parents how to check their children’s Xbox Live Gamer Rating and Complaint System.
11. We as parents and customers have the right to receive report cards about our children’s gaming habits and gamer reviews with detailed complaints. (Most parents don’t know it’s their child that is racist or a horrible on-line member of society)

We are demanding a Gamers Constitution please let us know what we are missing, what do you worry about, your safety, right to privacy, racism? If we don’t demand it we will never be treated like customers and will always be treated like kid gamers.

The gaming industry has changed and it needs to mature with it’s customers.

 

If you haven’t checked lately it’s 2008 but we still have the same basic options as we did in the 90’s, some games are much better but EVERY SINGLE GAME MAKER IS STILL MISSING THE SOCIAL focus of the games! GTA 4 is an amazing game but made a critical error in the social side.

Hey good point, it’s all about friends and the social connections, they took out the most important feature for most gamers. We were all looking forward to finally being able to just handout with our friends in other cities online without being shot at in COD4 or run over in GTA4. Then go shoot at people in COD4.

What does Niko Bellic do at the end of the day after he kills the mob boss and pulls the plug on his dreams?

He goes to a bar with another Niko Bellic who lives 1500 miles away and has a virtual beer and shoots some darts with a friend online. Maybe with the current game on the LCD TV in the virtual bar.

Maybe they would get some more friends together and go water skiing or suba diving under the bay.

You know I don’t know because some deveopler up there at Microsoft isn’t creative enought or they’re to proud to ask the gamers and the core community what they want. They are just like to movie industry and they will fall the same way if they don’t change.

We have been asking for a social virtual world since Trade Wars 2002, with the bathroom wall and secret passwords.

If the social network advancements and myspace and Army of Two concepts haven’t proven that there is a major gap in the social focus of gaming and entertainment then nothing will.

Just 4 or 5 guys and gals in distant cities playing some darts, bowling, water skiing… together over xbox live. It’s so sad the one most important feature and main reason everyone gets xbox live is to connect with others but there isn’t anywhere to do other then in the middle of a war.

Why can I play darts with someone that is fake but not someone real, when the focus of Xbox Live is to allow Social interactions between gamers, family and friends. This shows a critical failure of understanding by the developers and Microsoft in what our expectations are of them.

 

Other points.

I wrote this to Major but we don’t get any answer from anyone at Microsoft. No, company in this world ignores its customers like Xbox and Microsoft because we’re talking about games the customer doesn’t seem to matter. Well I’m not a kid, I am a customer that spend a large % of my yearly budget on technologies but yet no one will talk to us or write us back. Yes, I know there are a lot of emails and questions but we are paying you to deal with us, not ignore us.

 

Xbox live was built to be a place to game and connect with gamers across the world but after 3 years there is still not ONE single social focused program or application. Video conf, voice conf have not been upgraded ever! No, new features have been added to help us continue to make the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live our core media center. We’ve made the change but Microsoft has stuck us with, we might get to it someday…  I have 4 Xbox 360, 1 Home Server, 4 Vista PC’s and we fully use Media Center yet we are told to wait for features year after year. We have the most advanced setup in our area but yet we can’t do some of the simplest things because Microsoft won’t listen to us.

 

·         I still cannot meet with a group of friends anywhere outside of a game. On Xbox Live even after paying $50 a year per person per family. (that’s $150 a year for my family alone yet we still can’t meet with more than one person at a time)

·         I still cannot manage any type of social network on Xbox Live, even when Microsoft owns Live Spaces.

·         I still cannot manage any type of clan or pro grouping system, no top friends nothing

·         I still cannot share video mail with family and friends, and have almost no video effect when video conf

·         I still cannot video and audio conf with more than 1 person on each side, no room Mic

·         I still cannot 3 way call (a simple feature free on land lines and cell phones but not xbox live)

·         I still cannot meet in a open 3D world with my friends and family

·         I still cannot access my gaming statistics online or anywhere

·         I still cannot get gaming release dates, news or rate features or xbox live content

·         I still cannot access Video over IP tv (MSN Video performance on a 15MB cable is very poor and not Video over IP)

·         I still cannot access web content from my Media Center with good performance. Even when cable and sat both have On demand streaming video options but Microsoft and Xbox Live still don’t? There should be a yearly option for unlimited downloads of shows and movies from Xbox Live, no one wants to pay per movie, PLEASE, BLOCKBUSTER IS DEAD let their failed business model go with them. Unlimited access is the name of the game we don’t want to rent anything!

 

You tell my 10 year old daughter why she can’t watch hairspray day after day for a week because we can only rent it for 48 hours then we have to pay to rent it agein even after we’ve downloaded it? What are we paying for?

But yet I’m spending $15 a month for netflix? Why doesn’t Microsoft take that money and give me FREE unlimited content from Xbox Live?

 

·         Add-ons for Media Center have been poor, with few useful applications, even fewer that work on extenders.

·         Even with the Xbox 360 I am yet to be able to use Microsoft Word on my Xbox 360, even when most USB Keyboards work great and Microsoft has Office Live in Beta

·         I am unable to access my Microsoft Live Mesh dashboard and data from Xbox Live Dashboard on Mesh

·         I am unable to change the Dashboard Nav type (there should be a 3D option for Navigation in the Xbox 360 Dashboard)

·         There are few Video Cam application, even fewer effect, no full screen for video conference….(this is just stupid) Should I go on with missing video features there’s a lot

·         There is no touch screen support, also should include multi-touch support before Windows 7 does. Must be supported in media center!

·         Unable to use a Mouse or wireless style pointer or Wii style remote

·         Unable to Backup my game data anywhere but a USB memory card (Mesh, DFS, MS Home Server integration…) and only sometimes, viva piñata still can’t be copied

·         Unable to stream video content for game previews, reviews…. Why must I download everything I want to watch even if just one time just to delete it a few minutes later, this is a great waste of bandwidth and storage.

·         Why can’t I get Fox News or the News of my choosing on my Dashboard as a tab? Why no rss feeds?

·         Why can’t I Picture and Picture my duel tv tuners in Media Center?

·         Why are the music visuals so poor? Winamp style anyone, why can’t we control the effects in a visual editor and then save.

·         Why are there no advanced features, there are more than just stupid people using these tools and consol’s and we should have the right as consumers to have at least some control and advanced features. Just like in Windows you can default the settings stupid but please give us the options to control visual and feature based options.

·         I don’t care if the core of Xbox 360 OS runs in 64MB give us more options and make it run in 256MB. Same with Windows 7 you can make it lean by default but you better give us the advanced options too or we’re out.

 

I’m tired of being treated like a kid because I play games and use an Xbox as my social connection to my family. Microsoft better start focusing to the GTA, Mature crowed soon before we leave for PS3 as they do have social focused networks online and do give advanced options.

 

 

Time is passing and year after year we wonder why Microsoft vision of Xbox Live and Xbox 360 are so short and limited. We see that based on the comments of the Xbox Live Director telling us no Spring update because they only built the Xbox Live library to hold 15,000 titles and must upgrade and expand the network.

 

This shows a critical lack of vision for Xbox Live and show they don’t get it. We have been demanding since BBS days for a 3D social network in a free world. Server/client based I don’t care, even if it can only host 8 users at a time.