So my 360 went off for repair again...

[kn]

TheBigFatJ said:
You were *very* lucky with the speed of that turnaround. The community I monitor is still observing much longer turnarounds in general, but the length appears to be fairly random. As if there is no organization in the whole process.

Also, this isn't the fault of Microsoft's contractors or their subcontractors. It's Microsoft's fault. If a bad batch came out and they blamed it on their contractors, I wouldn't have a problem with it. MS would be able to recall those and fix it, after all, like everyone with scruples does when a contractor screws up. That's the cost of contracting out business.

This problem is purely Microsoft's fault. They need to fix it or at least increase the reliability of the units currently being produced.

Enjoy returning that console in a few months for another one that will break.

 I would have to disagree with you here.  I work in an industry that uses subcontractors for just about everything.  Microsoft surely didn't set out to build a faulty console.  The actually sub-contracted the complete design of the system.  I've forgotten who, but Microsoft provided insight as to what they wanted (a pc-like interface and hardware design) as well as performance, cost, etc.  Each of the vendor's components that were used were from specific vendors... The bad DVD drives?  That most certainly was a supplier error.  Testing the motherboard for heat-related issues?  The design house is responsible for that error as they are supposed to put finished circuitboards in temp cycling chambers and submit them to extreme temperatures hot/cold to test for failure.

It is Microsoft's product so it is, in fact, their problem and no one elses.  But to say that microsoft designed or built faulty machines is pure fallacy.  It was all subcontracted and much of the failure lies with the design and testing -- some of which I'm sure MS participated in, but by no means are the vendors without SIGNIFICANT blame.

Microsoft's screw-up was probably to let it go on as long as they did before taking the charge and getting on top of the problem.  By letting it go longer, they have that many more units floating around that will eventually fail.  Had they nipped it in the bud as early as possible, it would never have reached the magnitude it did...

If your reasoning was correct, Mattel would be solely repsonsible for the lead paint used by chinese manufacturers.  Mattel jumped on it and recalled toys (probably what MS should have done in hindsight) BUT the blame for the lead paint lays squarely on the shoulders of the Chinese subcon they used...