nordberg Posted January 2, 2007 Report Share Posted January 2, 2007 Stock levels appear to be a big fat zero though...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danksy Posted January 2, 2007 Report Share Posted January 2, 2007 Well there are stores that have the xbox, and stores that have the games pack, but can't find any stores (checked about 20) who have both Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calibos Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 [ QUOTE ] 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 Some methods are a little outdated and not currently recommended.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. [/ QUOTE ] Can back up everything Sponge said. Heres a link to a hotswap tutorial on xboxscene http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=496263 If you have ever installed a hardrive inside your PC and if you have ever re-installed windows on your PC then you can do this. (You don't need to re-install windows btw I am just making the point of the kind of difficulty level involved) The hardest part for me was timing the cable swap, ie pulling the ide cable out of the xbox hard drive and plugging it into the PC. There are only certain times you can make the swap, when the xbox hardrive is unlocked. There are a few 2 or 3 second windows when you can do it. Hardest part about the mod is just the timing as I said. Anyway, did my first xbox (The one I owned already which was gathering dust in the attic) in the Summer and installed XBMC. It was such a revelation it imediatly replace my 360 for streaming media to the Cinema room. Does everything the 360 can do and a lot more besides and does it 10 times better. The only thing it can't do is stream Hidef media. I bought 2 more xboxes in october and hotswap softmodded them too and installed XBMC. Now we can stream our entire music collection from the PC to any TV and soundsystem in the house. Listen to thousands of internet radio stations on any TV and sound system in the house. View all our photos anywhere in the house and view any of the 24 distinct TV shows we get via torrents on any tv and sound system in the house. Gonna build a server for the network sometime this year with about 6 terabytes and rip all our 700 dvd's too. Then any tv in the house can watch any dvd at the touch of a button from XBMC. We'll even be able to make a film selection by searching our film library by genre, actors directors etc all through the xbmc interface on any of the xboxes. I didn't even have to pay for the second and third xbox. Traded in a load of PS2 games and got enough to purchase the xboxes and 2 more xbox IR remotes too. Broadband + Unlimited cap + BitTorrent +Xbox and XBMC = TV Nirvana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waylander Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 I KNEW i should have looked in this forum earlier! Just been told about this from a friend at work today. The offer is still on until 19th Jan but games out of stock online. He can also do the softmod and suggested I get it as a media centre. Well as it was my b-day yesterday I will get my sisters to get it for me. Questions: 1)which remote do you recommend for the dvd playeback? 2) are you guess streaming wired or wirelessly? Pc is in front room and tv in back room so I would like to just set up a wireless system - can I do this and if so what other hardware do I need? I have a wireless BB modem/router [the sky BB one] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waylander Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 EDIT: cannot seem to find the games pack in ANY store in/around manchester! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danksy Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 Waylander... I have a cunning plan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danksy Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 So cunning plan is.... You buy two x software packs at full price, but in two transactions. You post me one pack and one receipt. I exchange under 16 day money back g'tee. Then I purchase 2 Xbox consoles here. One at full price without the games.. then post it and the receipt to you for you to do the same as i did. I can then buy the other xbox and the games pack (since I would have just returned one), and you likewise Just checking the stock position again around here.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danksy Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 Bugger, they are out of stock of the consoles down here, but plenty of game packs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danksy Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 Also just read that the software is excluded from 16 day moneyback g'tee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waylander Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 indeed. although as the games packs and consoles are both £49.99 this could still work in principle. I overheard a manager in one of the stores when I was put through to make a stock enquiry mutter that he heard some people had phoned head office who had issued vouchers to allow purchase of other games instead. I have emailed Argos CS to ask how they propose to continue the promotion until 19th Jan without requisite stock and will then take it from there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danksy Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 Let us know how you get on mate... I'm def up for one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponge Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 [ QUOTE ] indeed. although as the games packs and consoles are both £49.99 this could still work in principle. I overheard a manager in one of the stores when I was put through to make a stock enquiry mutter that he heard some people had phoned head office who had issued vouchers to allow purchase of other games instead. I have emailed Argos CS to ask how they propose to continue the promotion until 19th Jan without requisite stock and will then take it from there... [/ QUOTE ] Interesting... Regarding the softmod - if you rip a CD track to the xbox in the first instance, press play, then pause, the hard drive is then unlocked. No problem with trying to time it then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danksy Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Just fired an email to argos C.S asking the same question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontyslapper Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 [ QUOTE ] 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. [/ QUOTE ] Lads/Lasses, This is what I did back in November - RING THEM!! Heck I've even done some research so you don't have to ring 0870 600 2020 and get done for 10p a minute... 01785 250000 - Switchboard if you hold long enough 01785 710253 - Customer Services These geographical numbers are untested by me but are listed on saynoto0870.com Let us know how you get on! Don't forget to do a local stock seach on whats missing first! Find a store with the missing bits, but also try the store for each bit separately. I found that Merthyr had the Xboxs and the Games, but could only sell them separatly not together?!? Work that out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waylander Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 I have done all these things. I did a search in all the stores in: Manchester/Salford/Stockport/Stretford/Bolton/Ashton/Bury. None have both in. I also rang them and they didn't have a clue what to do except offering to ring around for me - except instead *I* got put through to the store instead 1 manager was muttering in the background that some customers rang head office and got vouchers for games instead. I have just emailed again [using diff email addy] and basically said the same again: no stock in stores within 30mile radius/when you getting any for delivery online/ how are you going to honour the deal/what about vouvhers. Will see what they say then will ring "head office" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waylander Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Here is the reply I got to my first email: [ QUOTE ] Thank you for your e-mail regarding catalogue number 5671867 and 568/0858. I am sorry to hear of the problems you have encountered. I have looked into your query, and I can confirm that all Argos stores and warehouses have a frequent stock update on all our items. However I can confirm that we do heavily depend on the suppliers of the products, in order for us to carry this request out. Unfortunately I do not have the relevant systems in order for me to check the next stock update of your desired item. I do advise you to regularly check our Online store at www.argos.co.uk, our Order Line on 0870 600 2020, and via your local store. Please note you can request an email by going through the order process, when the items shows out of stock you can tick the box, enter your email address whereby we will send an email as soon as delivery of stock is received into our delivery warehouse. To check when stock arrives into our store you can text 07786 201 201 with the catalogue number, then space, then the three digit store code. We will check stock and if out of stock you will be asked if your require a text when further stock is received. Should you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or call us on 0870 600 8784. [/ QUOTE ] As you can see - verbose but doesn't say anything. I think I will follow-up [as they invite to do] and ask them to provide some confirmation that they WILL be getting stock back in [when some stores have told me they won't] as otherwise they would be advertising an unenforcible special offer due to continue for another 2 weeks when they know no-one can take advantage of the offer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontyslapper Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 I've just done a quick check on both items in my 10 local stores - NONE have the Xbox but several have the games pack. Its exactly the same as November - they have the stock, but are holding it all over the place! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarMad Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Well just check around Manchester my way and even round at my parents for you (its not far away) and many have the console but none the games pack. I tried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waylander Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 cheers dude - might have to extend this to the TSN massive if I don't get any joy over the weekend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppetboy Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 I'm selling one, linky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waylander Posted January 6, 2007 Report Share Posted January 6, 2007 Argos are just not playing ball [ QUOTE ] Thank you for your e-mail. I was sorry to hear you were unable to obtain the goods you require. I have no specific dates on when new supplies are due, please call ourcontact-centre in a few days time and we will be happy to check stockagain for you. In order to take advantage of this offer all items must be available topurchase at the same time. I am not aware of any vouchers being given in place of out of stock goods,you would need to discuss this with your local store manager(s). Should you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or call us on 0870 600 8784. Regards, [/ QUOTE ] Muppetboy thanks. I have seen your addy but from my point of view the idea was to get an xbox with a view to turning it into a media centre centre price-point is a major factor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppetboy Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 I can price match Argos ps plus p&p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danksy Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 You have PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppetboy Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 Now sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waylander Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 bugger! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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