Shaq-fuing Thompson Drives!!

HeadRusch

HeadRusch

CAGiversary!
My original Thompson drive was getting flaky on me, so on the advice of a CAGer here I picked up a replacement drive cheap on ebay...about $30 bones.

Now, 2 months later, in the middle of a SW:Battlefront match, the drive makes this grinding sound, and its toast. History. Finito.

What absolute garbage these things are......I think these are refurb drives that the seller was handing out.

My GOD how can Microsoft sell a console that is DESIGNED To break within a few years...WTF? Their Backwards Compatibility sucks ASS on the 360..when they say a game "works" it does so in the loosest possible definition of the word. It boots, but most of the time its hardly playable, unless you like studdering graphics and hiccups (See: Vice City, Underground 2, etc).

Now I gotta go find myself a Samsung drive and just be done with all this BS.
 
This is why after my Xbox got fried by lightning I didn't replace it and I have no intension of getting a 360.
 
[quote name='wageslave']This is why after my Xbox got fried by lightning I didn't replace it and I have no intension of getting a 360.[/QUOTE]

I feel the same way... original Xbox died because of a Thompson drive, and the lineup of games I had / were coming wasn't enough to make me buy a second one.

I might get a 360 in a year or so once they get the bugs from launch fixed.
 
I dont think I'm going to buy another Microsoft console. I want my consoles to last more than merly three years.

My PS2 and GC work fine.
 
That sucks man. My first xbox crapped out on me too. I have an xbox for sale in a really good bundle if you're interested. CML.
 
[quote name='wageslave']This is why after my Xbox got fried by lightning I didn't replace it and I have no intension of getting a 360.[/QUOTE]

Wait, what? That has nothing to do with how its made, etc. Sounds like you are looking for something to blame after you let your box get fried. And what, the PS2 is praised for its durability?
 
[quote name='mmercer13']No offense, but how long do you guys think your consoles are supposed to last??[/QUOTE]

More than three years. :roll:
 
[quote name='mmercer13']No offense, but how long do you guys think your consoles are supposed to last??[/QUOTE]
Lets see, my super nes still works... my original gameboy still works... my nintendo 64 still works, so a pretty long time.

I've had my launch ps2 break, then the new one they sent (that I had to pay $100 for) also broke. Then my first xbox's av connection port broke, and I had to replace my currnet xbox's samsung drive with a thomson from ebay.
 
[quote name='DT778']Lets see, my super nes still works... my original gameboy still works... my nintendo 64 still works, so a pretty long time.

I've had my launch ps2 break, then the new one they sent (that I had to pay $100 for) also broke. Then my first xbox's av connection port broke, and I had to replace my currnet xbox's samsung drive with a thomson from ebay.[/QUOTE]

Cartridge based systems have a better chance to last longer as there aren't any moving parts. As long as you keep the contacts clean, there's not much that can go wrong.

Disc drives die. It sucks, but it's just the fact of how these things work. I know of plenty of GameCubes, PS2's, and Xbox's that have all had drives die. These things aren't meant to last forever.

The Thompson drive does have a greater chance of screwing up than the other Xbox drives though (a lot of the time it is a laser alignment issue). I think 3 years is a reasonable amount of time for a console to work though.
 
[quote name='Plinko']I've had my GC since launch and the thing is in perfect condition--same with the Dreamcast and PS2.[/QUOTE]

Wow, how did I forget to mention the DC? Those things are notorious for drives going south as well. This is again usually an alignment issue, but there are so many non-working DC's out there, it's amazing.
 
[quote name='shipwreck']Cartridge based systems have a better chance to last longer as there aren't any moving parts. As long as you keep the contacts clean, there's not much that can go wrong.

Disc drives die. It sucks, but it's just the fact of how these things work. I know of plenty of GameCubes, PS2's, and Xbox's that have all had drives die. These things aren't meant to last forever.

The Thompson drive does have a greater chance of screwing up than the other Xbox drives though (a lot of the time it is a laser alignment issue). I think 3 years is a reasonable amount of time for a console to work though.[/QUOTE]
D'oh :dunce: I forgot about disc drives as opposed to cartridge based.

It would be better if these companies had drives for sale or charged you less for replacing a drive instead of charging you $80 for a drive you can buy on ebay for $30 and solve your problems.
 
my saturn still works, that things built like a tank; and i've left it accidentally running for a few days

(not that anecdotal evidence means anything outside the world of the internet)
 
[quote name='evanft']I have a DC made in 2000 that works fine.[/QUOTE]

Yep, I do too. I also have 2 that I have had to take apart and fix. And I've fixed a Saturn before as well.

I also have a Thompson drive that is going bad, a Thompson Drive that is going strong, a flaky PS1, a good PS1, etc...

It's just the luck of the draw on a lot of this stuff. Sometimes you just get put in the wrong percentile.
 
[quote name='mmercer13']No offense, but how long do you guys think your consoles are supposed to last??[/QUOTE]


My super nintendo STILL works fine
 
I wouldn't have minded if this wasn't my SECOND Thompson drive.........and it died in THREE MONTHS after working perfectly. :(

I still have my first one thats flaky, but this new one had a catastrophic failure.....it fails every game all the time :(
 
[quote name='Rozz']More than three years. :roll:[/QUOTE]

Well, the Xbox came out in 2001. So if it just broke it lasted a little over 4 years! I agree that 4 years isn't great but MS fixed the problem they started using Samsung drives which work much better. Sony has had problems with the PS2. And although you never hear about GC problem my GC died after 11 months of playing it. It was a launch system and Nintendo replaced the DVD Drive. It hasn't broke since.
 
My two Samsung Xboxes are still tciking...and knock on wood, I've never had an issue with any of my consoles. *thinking that PSP may brick before games are released for it.*
 
Samsung drives are the way to go. The DRE have always been a problem since games started to be on optical media. PS1 had problems with it, so did the Dreamcast, PS2 and the Xbox. The only system that has yet to have any problems is the 'Cube. I don't know if it was the nintendo design or if it has something to do with the disc size. But as far as I know the failure rate for samsung drives is very low. To the point that if you own one of these drives your console will last for maybe as long as your Snes.

The Thompson's were just cheaply made and MS was quick to rectify this issue. Plus remember that if the Xbox/PS2 breaks most people will just go ahead and buy a new one. This is beneficial to console sales for both MS and Sony. If anyone needs help fixing their dying thompson's PM me (I have an Xbox fixing guide that I can send to people via aim or email).
 
[quote name='Indiana']Well, the Xbox came out in 2001. So if it just broke it lasted a little over 4 years! I agree that 4 years isn't great but MS fixed the problem they started using Samsung drives which work much better. Sony has had problems with the PS2. And although you never hear about GC problem my GC died after 11 months of playing it. It was a launch system and Nintendo replaced the DVD Drive. It hasn't broke since.[/QUOTE]

They stopped using Samsung drives, though. They went back Thompson/Phillips.
 
[quote name='evanft']They stopped using Samsung drives, though. They went back Thompson/Phillips.[/QUOTE]
from samsung they went to a newer samsugn that won't read cdr and then hitachi.
 
Well, I also had to swap out my Thomson drive for a Samsung drive I got on ebay. And Im not a big xbox fan, but you know what? At least with an Xbox you have the option to remove/replace the drive and not have to replace the entire system. Im on my second PS1, PS2, and DC, so you cant argue that the xbox is any more of a poorly designed system than those.

I only have two disc based systems that still work like the day I got them, my Saturn (which I got used!) and my Gamecube. And out of all the disc based systems I have, I think the gamecube is the best designed. Its sturdy, and I dont doubt for a minute that it will still work fine for many more years.
 
It's amazing how bad the Xbox drives are. I've had two Thompson drives die on me (one was refurbished) and one Samsung die. People talk about how bad the PS2 is with DRE's, but IMO an Xbox is much more likely to crap out on you.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top