When was the last time you heard of a piece of consumer electronics randomly failing because of software? if it works one day, and the next day it doesn't (and you installed nothing), 99.99999999% of the time, it's hardware.

There could be all sorts of reasons why, you could have installed something that replaced a file it wasnt supposed to, game updates gone wrong, you could have turned your console off improperly causing files to be lost that were active, all sorts of ways for software to get messed up and stop working.

For instance, my Zune music player refuses to open now, it could have been the result of the iTunes update I did just before the problem started to occur, but to my knowledge it is not a result of any hardware malfunctions because everything else works fine.

The console isn't failing, its just getting an error message that is causing things to not work properly, the console still works.

Though I am constantly flattered by your regular crediting of me with deep industry links and insider information, I cannot take credit for this claim.  It actually comes from the numerous sites that are reporting on this story, like for example the one I linked too.  But of course, its not like you to actually do research before you start a thread like this is it now?  And for a self-proclaimed software developer, I find it incredible that you think a system crashing always has to have something to do with hardware.  Wasn't it you and ssj12 bashing Vista the other day?

According to TheRealMafoo, every time in history that Windows has crashed on you, it was the hardware.  Call Microsoft and apologise for all the verbal abuse and written complaints you sent their way people. 

Carry on. 

Well I don't speak French, but the date of the article is November last year.  So unless it died the day they got it, which you'd think they'd have mentioned in the article, it doesn't fall into the realm of console sales I was referring to does it now?

In any case, if you look closely at the link you provided, you'll find there was no Rrod.

Every reason you mentioned is a software change (other then turning the thing off). In those cases, the software didn't fail, it just never worked in the first place (for whatever configuration it was installed on) If I play something one day, come back the next day and my system does not work, it's not from a software install.

if what you are talking about was the issue, there would be a lot of threads that said "Hey, I installed the new patch, and now nothing works", or "I tried paying GT5p, and no I have no sound".

Your Zune example even states your aware of a software change. These errors are coming from people who did nothing, there system just doesn't work. Your sotware didn't "break" It worked the exact same as it always would (in your case, not at all).

Software does not break, it either works or it doesn't work. Have you ever heard "I dropped my i-pod, and I think I broke the software"? :)

I did, and I heard different.

Anyway, I have to go. My GF is sining at a club, and I have to go listen to her :)

 lol, you have no idea what your talking about. An HDD can pass all QA testing and one week later when purchased fail.  Like I said my HDD has bad sectors, does it annoy me that it cost me $40 yet my 160GB HDD cost me $30? oh hell ya.  You know whats funny, both my HDDs are Western Digital which is one of the best brands of HDD you can buy.  Funny how there is still chances of issues isnt it.

The only two type HDD that has less chance of breaking would be an SSD or a hybrid HDD

 LOL!

OT: Yeah, this whole thing is really too early to tell for sure, but from the sounds of it, it doesn't sound like its nearly as bad as some people say. Same thing with the RRoD. The whole thing, while certainly more deadly than the PS3 error, is definitely blown out of proportion. The media is a truely powerful weapon.