Product Design †analysis of the XBox 360 Essay

Introduction: The reason that I have chosen the Xbox as the item to do this project on is because of the following reasons. * It has several add-ons which can be used and are used on a constant basis * I am an Xbox owner myself and know its pros and cons and know a severe amount about it. Along with these reasons the Xbox 360 has an expandable memory for music and photos. On the Xbox you can save games to the hard drive which comes in very handy if your and gets scratched this is how you resolve it without having to buy a new game. The expandable memory on these consoles depends on the type of Xbox bought. For example the elite console has an expandable memory up to 250 GB. This 250 GB is for also watching and recording sky on just like the new sky plus box. You can record movies and keep on your hard drive to watch again and again. Aesthetics: The Xbox aesthetics are different depending on which version you buy. The Arcade and Premium versions of the Xbox 360 are very similar with a smooth rectangular shape with rounded edges and a big circular button in the centre with small green lights surrounding it. One is black (Premium) and one is white (Arcade) in colour with some green and silver areas throughout. The arcade is the cheaper of the two as it doesn’t have the same attachments and variety of facilities that the elite has but is more well known as the colour of the Xbox as being white as it is the most often bought. Although they each have a regular colour, people are able to buy any of hundreds of different covers which you can put on easily by yourself. Durability: The Xbox 360 console is not very durable. Beware of letting it fall as it will most definitely smash. Also beware of even letting it tip over as it may not break but it will break whatever game is inside it at the time it falls. This is called laser marks or scratches and is the problem that I had referred to earlier. Although the console cannot survive drops, the controller can survive the occasional drop. Consumer/ Users: The main consumers and users of the Xbox 360 are probably teenagers from about 13- 16. Although these are the most frequent users and buyers of the console, many grown men also buy the console. The Xbox 360 doesn’t appeal to most men but some are very keen on it. The users are also nearly always male as not many girls would find the Xbox interesting or even fun to use. Modifications: There are very few modifications that can be made to the Xbox 360. The first modification I would make to the console would be to do with the durability. I would make it so that it would not break with a slight fall. Another modification I would make would be to the heat given off from the console as it gives off an enormous amount. This could be resolved solved by inventing a fan used via a USB port on the back to keep it discreet. Thirdly the weight of the console is colossal weight weighing 3.5 kilograms which makes it highly importable. Safety: The Xbox 360 is extremely safe. It has rounded edges so that it is safe for little children who may hurt themselves. One unsafe feature of the console would be the heat outlet which could burn someone if they put their hand on it or even worse, start a fire if it is left on for too long. Secondly as mentioned before the weight of the console if it were to fall on a small child it would do serious damage or may even kill the child. Ergonomics: The Xbox 360 is designed to stand up straight on a flat surface. It is made to suit this environment. It can also be sat down flat but it takes up a larger surface area. The Xbox 360 controller is shaped perfectly to fit your hands and the headset that comes with it is designed to fit over any shaped or sized head. Also the microphone on the headset comes with an adjustable piee between the ear and the mouth allowing it to be adjusted to reach your mouth. Cost: The Xbox 360 when it first came out about 2 years ago cost around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½200 for the arcade version, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½250 for premium version and, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½320 for the elite version. Since then the prices have come down quite a bit with the current prices at around; à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½130-140, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½190-200, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½250-260; depending on where you buy. It is well worth the money and you will get plenty of use out of it. Environment and Location: The Xbox 360 should be held in an open environment away from any water or liquid. It should be located quite high off the ground out of the reach of small children. It should also have room behind it do allow the fan to blow the hot air out without overheating. Size and Weight: The Xbox 360 is not that bid for the amount of components Involved in the making of it. It is around 1 foot tall, about 4 inches thick and around 8 inches wide. It is terribly heavy for a console and very awkward to move. Specifica tions: * Plays all Xbox 360 titles. * Wireless control with rumble * Xbox LIVE * 60GB hard drive * Multimedia compatible * Standard or HD graphics * Free and Premium downloadable game and entertainment content. * Support for DVD-video, DVD-ROM, CD-ROM and MP3 CD * Customizable face plates (picture below) * 3 USB2.0 ports * Support for 4 wireless controllers * Removable 60GB drive * Wi-Fi ready Conclusion: The Xbox 360 looks good and is a nice and attractive shape. It doesn’t have the best durability but nothing to worry about. There are very few modifications that could be made to it. It is safe and perfectly designed in every aspect of the console. It is quite large and heavy but is definitely worth the money. Overall in my opinion the Xbox is a great buy for anyone, young or old. Anyone who buys it will have great fun and get plenty of use out of it.