eolair Posted November 25, 2006 Report Share Posted November 25, 2006 argos are doing a special - xbox + Halo2/Forza/Project Gotham/something else for £50. As well as the games, some suggest its use as a media centre, linux machine, and adding a HD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snail Posted November 25, 2006 Report Share Posted November 25, 2006 Thats an absolute bargain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted November 25, 2006 Report Share Posted November 25, 2006 A lot of people use these for In-Car systems too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobF Posted November 26, 2006 Report Share Posted November 26, 2006 what a bargain! The four games on offer are some of the best ever produced for the X-box. I don't know how they've managed to do this at this price but i'm glad they have Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponge Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 Great find! Reserved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobF Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 Yeah me too. Picked the box up on Sunday and the games tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponge Posted November 29, 2006 Report Share Posted November 29, 2006 BONUS! I just discovered Argos take Nectar reward points (I actually forgot I had them) and they're worth £2.50 for every 500 points. I have 22,800 points, so I should be able to get this for free!!! OR, I forget about the XBox and pre-order a Wii... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobF Posted November 29, 2006 Report Share Posted November 29, 2006 I'd be tempted to wait and see the feelings towards the PS3 as it'll be out in the UK in the Spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eolair Posted November 29, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2006 the xbox is so cheap and you can use it for a media centre, it'd be a shame not to get it. The Wii looks good too. To my mind, Nintendo have taken the better path - produce a cheap fun device that's accessible to all. The PS3 is bloated and right now is poor value for money. Maybe in a couple of years when the price has dropped and the developers have learned how to get the best from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lottiefox Posted November 29, 2006 Report Share Posted November 29, 2006 Will I like one of these, don't currently have a games thingy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontyslapper Posted November 29, 2006 Report Share Posted November 29, 2006 Just reserved one at a localish store - most stores were sold out of one or both bits. Pickup tomorrow on way home from work - just have to 'convince' the wife. Shouldn't be too hard as I'll 'use' my birthday money! Ends today - might have to order one online!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponge Posted November 29, 2006 Report Share Posted November 29, 2006 [ QUOTE ] I'd be tempted to wait and see the feelings towards the PS3 as it'll be out in the UK in the Spring. [/ QUOTE ] I'll never buy a Sony product, especially their PlayStations. As for the offer ending today, there is another combination (same products) on their website that quotes a 24th December end date. So there's time. I got mine today and it didn't cost me a penny! (I used my Nectar points.) I'm now looking into Soft Modding it for my Dad. I already have a chipped one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobF Posted November 29, 2006 Report Share Posted November 29, 2006 YES! Got the games today - Good work Argos Sponge what do you mean by "soft Modding" it? What can you do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontyslapper Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 The 'new' offer which runs till Christmas Eve seems to be almost impossible to get unless you are prepared to hound your local Argos. The home delivery option don't know when they'll get the games back in stock. Most Argoses don't know if they will get any more XBoxes as its a 'deleted' item ie not in the catalogue any more. I ordered online - the games had sold out by the time the order went through, so I rung 0870 600 2020 and spoke to the internet team. The chap set something up so that I could pick the games up last night at a local Extra store. Took about an hour in store for everything to get sorted though. The flipside is I cannot cancel the order for the Xbox as it is 'frozen' due to the fact I've had the games from a store and am awaiting the Xbox from Argos Direct. I must say the manager, Liz (I think she was) in Merthyr Tydfil Cyfartha retail park was bloody great - no fuss or bother, she kept plugging away at Direct/HQ until I had the games in my paws. Apparently the system has to be massaged slightly for this way to work! Good Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponge Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 I'm glad my purchase was so painless. I simply reserved online. Searched the local stores and the closest one showed both items. Went to the store and collected them. Took no time at all. The guy serving me did show a little surprise when he keyed in the reservation number. I think it may have been because I was buying an old xbox (everyone wants 360s), but maybe because it was such a good price. I'm tempted to buy another one! There's loads on ebay now, but I think it's saturated and they don't seem to be making much profit anymore. I'm aware of some that went for over £100, but not now. I already have a chipped (hardware mod) xbox, but there are several ways to mod the xbox without a modchip. However, the methods involve memory cards, exploiting software using game saves (only works on 4 older games) or hotswapping the xbox hard drive with a PC or another, modded, xbox - which could be dangerous. I'm still researching the best method, so you'd be better Googling for more information. You can get old xbox memory cards off ebay relatively cheaply. I couldn't find any in shops. I called loads. Some even laughed - 'I haven't seen one of those in ages!', one guy said! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nordberg Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 They've gone up to £90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponge Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 Boy am I glad I got one when I did. I was actually considering buying another. (Don't really need it, just because it was so cheap. ) I softmodded mine over the weekend and it's now running XBMC! Next step is to replace the stock HDD with a 200gb one and put it away for Christmas, as it's my Dad's present. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lottiefox Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 Well I bought one and the games through the offer and when it arrived the games weren't included as they were out of stock and no one knows when they'll have anymore in and I'm fed up with faffing around to try and get the games (for free as that was the offer at the time I bought it)...I might just send the X-box back and get a refund! So now I've got a lovely new X-box all sealed up and no sodding games to play on it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontyslapper Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 [ QUOTE ] I softmodded mine over the weekend and it's now running XBMC! Next step is to replace the stock HDD with a 200gb one and put it away for Christmas, as it's my Dad's present. [/ QUOTE ] HOW!!! I've looked on the net but get bogged down in stuff about soldering and stuff. Is there a linky? or am I just being thick! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eolair Posted December 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 You can buy a hardmod chip, no soldering required (but opening box is) for about £30. Softmod requires a memory card, and a certain game (usually splinter cell, original) and a copy of something like XMBC on CD. For more stuf, you also network the Xbox to your PC, and transfer files over via FTP. Haven't done the above myself yet, waiting until after xmas and I have some readies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontyslapper Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 Hardmod sounds the way to go... Did some hardcore research in work today (teacher) - some of the kids are into that kind of thing, so I tapped them for info. As you said, need certain games and memory cards and it sounds like a load of bother, when as you say for thirty notes you can get a plug in mod. Like you, I'll wait until after Christmas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponge Posted December 9, 2006 Report Share Posted December 9, 2006 Having used a solder chip in my xbox, 2 mates xbox's & my dad's (old xbox - now in the bin, different story) and a solderless chip in my nephew's xbox I can safely say this 'softmod' method of modding is by far the best. There are several ways to softmod the xbox. The most popular way is to exploit game saves. This requires the use of certain games, of certain versions, eg the original splinter cell. Using that method requires the use of a memory card. You can use the 'normal' memory cards or use a usb stick with a modified controller cable (can also buy these pre-made, eg ebay). There is another method which involves 'hotswapping' the hard drive with a PC or another, already modded, xbox. (This is the way I did it.) Doing it this way, you don't need a memory card or game, but it has it's own difficulties and risks. 'Hotswapping' involves removing the hard drive while the xbox is powered up. Yet again, there are several ways to do this also. Briefly, you can use the power from the xbox to run the drive, then remove IDE cable from xbox and hook up to PC. But there are dangers with the voltage difference between the floating earth of the xbox and the PC (about 100volts). You can get around this by earthing the case of the xbox to the PC. Or, you can power the xbox HDD from the PC itself. As you can imagine, the above is just a very basic and brief idea of what's involved and you need to read up on it. I suggest xboxscene - there are loads of tutorials. As far as upgrading the HDD. Once you have softmodded the stock HDD, you can back up the files and create a linux boot disc to create an xbox hard drive from scratch. This is where I am up to. My other xbox has a 'proper' hard-chip, which was soldered in. The installation of the chip is harder, but subsequent installation of the software and larger hard drives is easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponge Posted December 9, 2006 Report Share Posted December 9, 2006 I timed out there, so here's the rest... The thing I found with solderless chips is they can be difficult to install too. They may not required soldering, but they do require the xbox to be taken completely apart. (Hotswap softmod only requires the lid taking off to get to the HDD.) The area where they attach to the xbox motherboard can be thickly covered in the laquer substance they coat circuit boards in. As a result, it can be hit & miss whether you can obtain a decent electrical contact. You can buy fibreglass pencils designed to rub away this coating to expose the contacts on the motherboard, but it's still problematic. I didn't need the pencil, but the way the chip is clamped to the motherboard wasn't very good. After hours and hours I was close to giving up, when I stumbled across a forum where someone had jammed something inbetween the chip and the DVD/HD drive to press it down. So I fashioned a wedge out of a cork and after several attempts, managed to rebuild the xbox and boot it with the chip working. However, my nephew has since moved his xbox and despite my telling him to be careful not to knock it, he has, and it now doesn't work. Despite some concerns over hotswapping, I can honestly say it was the easiest mod I have performed. Just take a few precautions, do a lot of reading, get the process right in your head first, then take your time. I can't browse xboxscene at work, so can't provide direct links, but there are several tutorials on softmodding. Some methods are a little outdated and not currently recommended. You're looking for the latest 'Ndure method'. If I can help with anything else, I will try, just ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobF Posted December 28, 2006 Report Share Posted December 28, 2006 [ QUOTE ] argos are doing a special - xbox + Halo2/Forza/Project Gotham/something else for £50. As well as the games, some suggest its use as a media centre, linux machine, and adding a HD. [/ QUOTE ] For those that missed out first time round - good news, the offers back on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponge Posted December 28, 2006 Report Share Posted December 28, 2006 Thanks for the info. A few mates are looking out for this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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