Shhhhhh!  Come closer.  This is just between you and me, ok?  My kids still believe in the fat guy with reindeer, and they never read my blog, so I think the secret is safe. 

This Christmas we bought the little ones something they've been coveting for a while -- Rock Band.  It's the coolest thing for fans of music and video games alike.  It comes with a guitar controller, a set of drum pads, and a microphone.  Three players can cooperate to "perform" a song, each choosing a different instrument.  For a while now we've been playing Guitar Hero II.  Rock Band follows the same general principle (and is made by the same developers), but extends it to the full band.  My kids all love it, and it has the side benefit of introducing them to such classics as War Pigs by Black Sabbath.  Well, Microsoft has conspired to make this holiday an exercise in frustration.  On Christmas day, all three sugar junkies will wake up before dawn, rush to tree, shred the wrapping paper, and...do...nothing.  The XBox 360 is dead, Jim.  It's an overpriced set of blinking red LEDs. 

If you have read any technology news lately, you know that MS has had some troubles in recent months.  This Autumn, they announced that they would be extending XBox 360 warranties for a full three years past the purchase date.  That's almost unheard of.  With consumer electronics, you're lucky to get a 90 day warranty. Why'd they do it?  It's a textbook turn-lemons-into-lemonade maneuver. So many customers had been flooding their repair center with dead units, they had to respond with a gesture of good will.  Bad press becomes good press.  In September, I was one of those customers. 

Our machine ran almost every day since Christmas 2006, before giving up the ghost. I called the repair center, they shipped me a pre-paid casket, and in about four weeks we had a freshly minted 360 jammin' out to Strutter...until last week.  The new 360 -- actually manufactured just a couple of months before it hit my doorstep -- likewise decided to take a dirt nap.  Sure, Microsoft is replacing this bad unit just like they did the last one, but I can't help but feel anticipated disappointment for my kids.  Perhaps I'll try to make some lemonade this year, and use this as a lesson in patience, humility, and gratefulness.  Perhaps we'll just go sledding.