Gaming Buying a new 360 for Xmas

[eidrian]

Any particulars i should know? I'm interested in playing some backups and playing online. I honestly don't know anything about 360's as i've never had one. Just considered getting one for Xmas, but i want to know if i should get the new slims ones that come with Kinect or something.

I'd really want to play backups on it, i'm not sure if i need to have it chipped or even if there is a chip to do it. I just want to know in your opinion, the best option for a 360.

 

[FAST6191]

http://gbatemp.net/t264327-freeboot-0-40-d...t&p=3287463 has the various modding types.

In general though most backup type hacking revolves around flashing the DVD drive (no chips per se), the later model original style 360s are a pain to flash (a little over a year ago a new style of drive came out) although it is entirely possible and the slim at this point in time has no flashing options.
All the hacking work has been done but the hacked firmware for the slim got delayed by MS introducing a new protection that troubled some other drives. As and when it appears though it might be easier to get keys from slims (the "hardest" part of any DVD drive flashing attempt)- read up on Tarablinda if you want to know more there.

http://www.jungleflasher.net/downloads.html has some guides that are worth looking at.

Oh and if you go down the DVD flashing path all discs will need to be dual layered discs (DVD+R DL).

 

[eidrian]

If that's the case about the slims, is there a modchip or something that could let me use backups on it? Even though that means, sacrificing online play?

 

[FAST6191]

Straight up DVD flashing (even if you went old school and found a chip for it- do not as they are useless) does not in and of itself negate live (JTAG hacking does and some rather pointless aspects of hard drive hacking will).
The problem with the slim right now is lack of hacked DVD firmware- there is one coming but as mentioned it got delayed by AP25 (a new check MS cooked up to try and detect hacked DVD drives).

I doubt it will be long before it comes out though.