Xbox Fall Dashboard Update

Launched today. Features here.

One thing I can tell you - the audio codecs make chatting extremely clear. And now my avatar has human proportions (for Kinect, from what I hear.)

I also checked out ESPN - nothing to write home about - no live games yet.

Downloading it now. An actual search function for Netflix makes me happy - having to add things to my queue on the PC before I could be assured of finding them on the X Box was stupid. Better Zune Pass support is appreciated, too. But human proportions on the avatars? What's up with that? I liked my comically Super-Deformed elderly avatar.

Edit: Also, having played with it a bit, the stark white, sharp-edged visual theme really isn't doing it for me.

edited 1st Nov '10 8:52:18 AM by Shale

I don't have that. I have my old Winter theme and it looks just fine.

Gah. Update downloaded, but my box locked up on the splash screen, after the animation. Killed it with the console power switch and restarted, but it's downloading the update again now.

The update breaking isn't surprising me, by the way, it just me.

edited 1st Nov '10 10:15:19 AM by Nohbody

Ok, it's finally updated and running, and... I'm not particularly happy with the new look.

"Ugly piece of shit" is probably the most succinct description of my initial impression, and going through the settings I'm not seeing anything that fundamentally changes that view. Moving "quick launch" to another screen besides the default one when you press the logo button isn't helping any.

Also, what's up with cutting off half of the flipping background with that white bar? The dashboard thing is bad enough, but it won't even show me the other half of the picture that isn't behind the dashboard options.

Ugh. The more I look at the various settings and such, the more I think the new design for this update sucks ass. I mean levels of suck only achieved by Black Holes. Specifically, the mega black hole that's theorized to be at the heart of our galaxy.

edited 1st Nov '10 10:42:29 AM by Nohbody

It gives you a tutorial. On how to move through menus.

Yeah.

edited 1st Nov '10 2:32:07 PM by ShirowShirow

^ Oh, yeah, forgot about that /facepalm bit.

I'm definitely not a fan of the design, except in that it streamlined the Games Library menu. It's ugly and I'm hard-pressed to find anywhere that's improved on the old, aesthetically speaking. I am a fan of the Netflix interface finally getting its shit together. I'd gladly trade the prettiest interface in the world for the ability to search through the Watch Instantly catalog by title, with the option to add search results to my DVD queue from the X Box as a nice bonus.

"'Hold RB for More Dakka'? What's More Dakka? What's RB? Do I have to hug him? And how do I make him doesn't afraid of anything?"

As an IT Professional, I can confirm that people are that stupid.

edited 1st Nov '10 3:48:33 PM by GameGuruGG

I find it hard to care one way or anoether: The last one worked fine, this one works fine, if microsoft thinks it's prettier then i don't mind.

What does everyone think about the new avatars, though? Mine doesn't look so bad, but my bro FREAKED when he saw how his got all stretched out.

I don't really like it. And I'm not complaining just to complain. When the old dashboard replaced the first one, I loved it. This sort of seems like a step down. It doesn't look as good as the old one in my opinion.

I'm not sure what I think about the changes yet. Most of what I see is a fair improvement, but I only use the main page options for getting to my settings or game library (and settings are just as buried as they used to be, while the game library is improved), and I like the idea of a better search function for, say, searching through the arcade or movies.

The system sounds are more subdued, which makes them much easier to deal with in the middle of a game session, or just booting it up more discreetly when the rest of the house is asleep.

The proportions of the avatar make no real difference to me. I'm not planning on getting the Kinect, and I'm doubtful they'll have done much to improve on this idea since it was called the Eye-Toy. The avatar is therefore just an amusing little thing to me.

I could skip the tutorial and am glad for it.

Edit: DEAR GODS HELP ME GET RID OF THE WHITE CRAP I have no idea why they thought a white cloud taking up half the screen was a good idea, but it's driving me nuts.

edited 2nd Nov '10 6:25:36 PM by GoggleFox

2012 Dashboard Update TODAY.

Hmm, hasn't updated here even after signing out and back in just to be sure.

The description of the changes doesn't exactly fill me with great joy, but I'll withhold judgement till I see it for myself.

Pinning is nice and sorely needed.

A browser's a nice touch, even if it's IE...

Microsoft is staggering the updates so you don't have Live crashing again as tens of millions of 360's update at once.

I want Smartglass, dammit.

Yeah, I missed that "staggered deployment" thing first time around. Absently, I wonder if it's being done by location, gamertag, or something else entirely.

Region by region.

The Dashboard is now available for EVERYONE.

UPDATE: The "Metro" interface looks fine. Since I have a wallpaper background, it's hardly noticeable. Am downloading Explorer now.

Yikes. You better have HD, because going on Facebook, the text is TINY.

Ah, right trigger zooms.

edited 23rd Oct '12 6:10:41 AM by JAF1970

OK, the Explorer 360 doesn't allow downloading files to 360 hard drive, so you can't use Adobe Flash.

Basically, the same restrictions Apple has (sigh). C'est la vie.

I strongly suggest clicking on "Use Mobile" on Explorer, which makes browsing easier and also eschews Flash content.

edited 23rd Oct '12 6:19:07 AM by JAF1970

Yeah, got the update this morning when I was about to fart around with Carcassonne to kill some time. I suppose for some the pinned app/game feature could be useful, but for me the "recent" list covers pretty much everything I tend to regularly use.

Haven't even looked at the IE thing, as I have no intention of browsing via my 360. I avoid IE on the PC already, not going to seek it out when I don't have anything for typing other than the virtual keyboard. I do wonder, though, how/if it handles cookies and the cache. Just not enough to try it.

The rest? Haven't really looked, but not expecting anything to be of concern for me from the descriptions of the changes.

edited 23rd Oct '12 11:13:01 AM by Nohbody

It does use cookies and bookmarks, and a single button press can delete browser history.

The only thing you can't really do is download stuff to the hard drive, which is probably because they don't want 1) virus intrusion, 2) hacker downloads.