Xbox 360 Fall 2007 Dashboard update hands-on
What, you didn't wait up all night to play around with Microsoft's Xbox 360 Fall 2007 Dashboard update? Ok, fine, we're just that geeky, but we feel vindicated: this is hands down our favorite 360 update thus far.
Context & Ripple Effects
Microsoft's second Dashboard refresh of 2007 has landed, and this one follows a familiar rhythm: the Spring 2007 update set the half-yearly cadence, and last week's Opposable Thumbs piece previewed that the Fall release would carry social networking features onto the console.
Engadget's verdict after a night with it — 'hands down our favorite 360 update thus far' — matters less as a review than as evidence that Microsoft is treating the Dashboard itself as a product line, not firmware. Each update now arrives with its own press cycle and expectations.
First-order effects
- Every connected Xbox 360 gets new Dashboard functionality overnight at no charge, with the social networking features teased in November now live for Xbox Live users.
Second-order effects
- A successful free update raises the bar Microsoft must clear with the next half-yearly release, while keeping the 360 competitive on software freshness against rival consoles shipping fixed feature sets at retail.
Third-order effects
- If the spring-and-fall rhythm holds, consoles complete their shift from sealed boxes updated only by new hardware generations into service platforms whose interface, social layer, and storefront evolve continuously over a machine's life.
The trend: Microsoft's twice-yearly Dashboard updates are turning the Xbox 360's interface into an evolving service layer rather than static launch-day firmware.