Head starts mean nothing, the Wii has proved that, The 360 has far surpassed MS expectations this early in its life(including it's pre 175w hardware problems) they could never of imagined being in this position being a relatively new brand and the software sales especially in the USA are just incredible it also shifts a lot of add ons, Xbox live ,downloadable movies and Xbox 1 games, arcade games etc all from Xbox live.
If MS carry on doing what they are doing when they will hit the next gen they could well be the first placed console, remember the Xbox 360 is only really MS 2nd console and the PS3 is Sony 3rd(but MS are able to more than compete so soon), PS2 had massive early Dvd problems Xbox 2 had massive early problems BUT there was ONE big difference, there was not the internet like there is now so when the PS2 had its big early problems so there was less bull spread unlike now with the net .
Taken from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playstation_2
SONY PLAYSTATION
Disc read error
Owners of early PS2 models purchased from launch until July 2003 often reported faulty optical drives in their consoles.[24] The earliest drives suffered from a constantly misaligning laser lens, which could also result in discs being scratched by the lens. [25] Later defects were the result of a shift in voltage to the laser. The first problem was easily remedied by opening the console's casing and tweaking a cog that controlled the lens's distance from the disc; however, this action voided the console's warranty. The second problem could be fixed by using an oscillator. After many consoles had broken down, a class action lawsuit was filed against Sony. Sony agreed to provide free repair or replacement for the faulty consoles and continued to do so until February 2005.[citation needed]
Another problem that could cause a disc read error is wear on the coupling in the head assembly to the worm gear that moves the laser. A symptom of this is a loud repetitive clicking sound. This sound can also be heard on older systems when playing blue or black disks. These problems rarely occur on newer consoles.[citation needed]
A class action lawsuit was launched in 2005 against Sony with regards to this issue. It was settled [26] by allowing those who purchased a defective console to receive $25, a free game, free repairs, or a new console.
Oh and my Headline -
MS are more than happy that being the new boy they have proved early on that they can take on both their Japenese rivals(and cause Sony to lose their previous almost console world domination) despite their Japenese competitors 10 -15 year head starts into the console market.
