Xbox Fall Preview Program 2009 (Now Active)

I didn't get an email for the last preview program and I got in. And I don't expect to get one this time around, either.
 
I'm liking the Facebook and Last.FM apps. Sucks that Last.FM can't be listened to elsewhere on the console, but I can deal.

I just find it cool that I actually got in. I didn't think I would, but I get to lord it over my friends. Hahaha. :)
 
[quote name='slickkill77']But you also already have to be paying for sky.tv to get it so ....[/QUOTE]
It's not like you don't have to do the same thing with Netflix.

Yes, I realize Netflix is much cheaper than what this would cost, but judging by that video, you get what you pay for.
 
I am apparently in the program, but I haven't gotten the update yet. This is on the preview website now:

"IMPORTANT: We have already begun the process of rolling out the updates to your console. If you do not receive it right away, don’t worry, you will get it soon. If you do not receive the update by Tuesday, let us know. In the meantime, please do not submit feedback about not yet receiving the update."

So it looks like those of us who haven't received the update yet may still be getting it within the next few days.
 
[quote name='advanced']I'm liking the Facebook and Last.FM apps. Sucks that Last.FM can't be listened to elsewhere on the console, but I can deal.

I just find it cool that I actually got in. I didn't think I would, but I get to lord it over my friends. Hahaha. :)[/QUOTE]


Listening to the last.fm now and it would be great for this to stream outside of the app. :)
 
Got my email about 2 minutes ago. Hopefully I can get the console repaired and try it out. Either way, I've made it into all of the previews so far so I'm beginning to think once you've made it into one you are maybe automatically approved if you sign up for the next one.
 
Got the email tonight, saying I'm in. But, the update hasn't pushed yet.

EDIT: And just finished downloading.
 
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Last.fm is kind of annoying. I don't get why picking a station based off a band wouldn't also play that bands music as well as bands that sound like them. I realize I could just play my Library but it would be nice if it were more like the ipod app pandora.
 
I'm liking the Last.FM application. I also like how they have game music radio stations and chiptunes is one of them. The Facebook and Twitter ones seem very barebones, but I'm with it since Last.FM was the only one I was really looking forward to.
 
I haven't tried last.fm, but I really like the Twitter app. Facebook is good for viewing, as n8rocker said, but not for actually commenting.
 
Last.fm is great! I really think they did a good job with it and I see myself having it on in the background a lot.

Facebook and Twitter are decent I suppose, but I can't ever see myself using them much.
 
I got in, and with all of the additional stuff on the dash now, I -really- wish they'd give us an option to "hide" things. I really don't need 40 options worth of crap to click on.
 
Last.fm would be more useful if you could have it on while in the dashboard or even a game. I'm not a fan of the way they do radio stations, as I'd like a band's radio station to actually play songs from that band. There's also the lack of the stats and info that the site offers that I'd like to have, so the interface is a bit simplistic with tons of stations on there and that's about it.

Twitter is a mostly useless app since it lacks features that would make it more useful than just turning it on for a minute and quitting. You need to be able to follow conversation threads, as you could do it now, but it would be in the most clunky way possible. It also needs to be an app you can access from anywhere with the mini-blades. Since there's no browser, the links that people post to point out good articles and other interesting info takes away from its usefulness.

Facebook would probably be more interesting if I actually visited the site more than once every few months. Having to load up a separate app just to access the video store isn't great, as it feels like they should've just redesigned the existing video store to incorporate the new stuff. I don't buy videos, so the instant streaming isn't useful for me. Is that all that's in the update (those four things)? Seems like some not much is being added that enhances the gaming ability of the system, but just makes the dashboard more cluttered since I think there are two new sections to rotate through.
 
Last.Fm would be hands down the best feature of the 360 for me if it was possible through the mini-dashboard.

Twitter and Facebook would be also better if they could be accessed through the mini-dash.

In conclusion, Microsoft needs to add in functionality where dashboard apps can utilize the mini-dashboard(guide).
 
I think Facebook would be more useful if they let you pull people's names off Groups you're in. That way, it'd be a big community builder. But they failed to do that. Twitter is pretty useless, but as far as useless features go, last.fm is the best one.

The Rock Band Network stuff is just more songs, nothing more. Halo Waypoint is the same way, but it'll be in the spotlight.

Oh, and Crackdown is apparently now supported by the install feature.
 
Last.FM will probably be the only thing I use. Although I do log on to Facebook almost everyday, I dont see myself using the 360 to do that. I don't like the way they presented it. I don't use Twitter so I cant comment on that.
 
I got into the preview program and not to sound like a broken record but the last.fm part will be the only thing I will use. I'll use my computer for facebook and I don't have a twitter so that isn't that useful to me.
 
This was a pretty underwhelming update for me. Twitter: blah. I made an account strictly for Uncharted 2 to update for me, so I don't really care about it. Facebook looks fine, but I like the iPhone app much more.

Last.fm is the best thing it added, and it cannot even play from the dash (or Guide button dash). Boo.
 
Yeah, I was talking to moojuice and Matt Young last night and mentioned that it seems like this update is more about adding stuff that your Xbox can do than the actual usefulness of it (unlike last year's Netflix update, which I still think added tremendous value to the system).

Everything in and of itself is pretty cool and well designed, but there's not a whole lot of application for it. You could tell someone "I can go on Facebook on my Xbox, and I can go on Twitter on my Xbox, and I can listen to Last.fm." But then they'd ask you "Why?" And you'd have to say "I don't know..." haha.

The only real usefulness for Last.fm is if you were having a party and just wanted to leave it running. Facebook...I guess maybe if you have a lot of your gaming friends on there, and you want to see what they've been up to...? Twitter...well, Twitter has always been a less involved form of Facebook, but without being able to view pictures or visit links, it loses a lot of its charm.

I guess this update makes the 360 feel like more of a robust, all-around media device by giving you things you can do BESIDES playing games. Just nothing you can do WHILE playing games. That's not a terrible thing, but it's not going to blow people away either.
 
My initial thoughts = BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

What's the point???? It'll be nice if I could stay logged into facebook so I can see if someone sent me a message or commented on something I did. Or, if I could stream that radio stuff. The cool stuff.

There's no way I'm going to just use my 360 to get on facebook. Pointless! What if someone puts up a youtube link? Unlike the ps3, I can't go to it!

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiit....waste of time.
 
Anything that exposes me to more music = Win. I like the last.fm part. Facebook is alright and I don't think I'll be using Twitter or Zune.
 
Got the e-mail and downloaded the update.

Last FM is pretty decent. I could see myself occasionally using that when doing some work on the couch and not wanting to have the TV on the back ground.

Facebook is nothing great on Xbox. Only feature I like is viewing photos on the 50" screen--I could see myself using that everyonce in a great while. Otherwise pretty useless.

Don't use Twitter so I didn't download that one. Ditto with Zune.
 
Does anyone who has bought things from the Zune Video Marketplace on their PC before the update, are those purchases available on the 360?
 
I am almost positive the answer is yes. But I haven't tried it myself.

It is kind of strange how some stuff in the Zune marketplace isn't instawatch and others are.
 
I think what lots of people are missing, is that Microsoft has always wanted the Xbox to be a media extender in the living room. They are going for the bigger than casual market, the technological late adopters. They want a device they can market to everyone.


For example: My mom (despite me showing her numerous times) won't use the internet. However, she can turn on the 360 and use it. She LOVES Netflix. She has been hinting about wanting a second xbox and her own gold account!!! WTF?!? She is 64 and hates video games. I showed her Last.fm and she expressed that she would use it while she is cleaning, crafting, or sewing (she's retired).

Long story, short. They want options and selling points.
 
They messed up the video library, as it now shows all of shows I can redownload again, but buries the stuff that's on the hard drive. The only shows I have on my hard drive are a few episodes of The Guild, but I had to manually scroll through a history of stuff I got for free a long time ago just to get to that. Game videos seem to be the only thing that just shows what's on the hard drive and not a bunch of stuff you'd have to redownload to be able to watch. I can't find an option to restrict what it shows, so that definitely needs to be fixed.
 
[quote name='FriskyTanuki']They messed up the video library, as it now shows all of shows I can redownload again, but buries the stuff that's on the hard drive. The only shows I have on my hard drive are a few episodes of The Guild, but I had to manually scroll through a history of stuff I got for free a long time ago just to get to that. Game videos seem to be the only thing that just shows what's on the hard drive and not a bunch of stuff you'd have to redownload to be able to watch. I can't find an option to restrict what it shows, so that definitely needs to be fixed.[/QUOTE]

How are you getting there? Going to 'My Xbox' > 'Video Library' > 'Zune Video' ? I Just did that and mine was listed normally in the ALL section (albeit slowly). Everything else was sorted into the various Sub-sections in an odd order
 
[quote name='reddjoey']How are you getting there? Going to 'My Xbox' > 'Video Library' > 'Zune Video' ? I Just did that and mine was listed normally in the ALL section (albeit slowly). Everything else was sorted into the various Sub-sections in an odd order[/QUOTE]
Yeah, All listed everything I had ever downloaded from most recent to oldest while TV, Movie (don't have any though), and Music Video were just download histories that I had to dig through to get to what I was looking for before I gave up and used the All listing.
 
Halo Waypoint is now active. You get a Avatar Award for logging in.

EDIT: Just got 4 more for my Career Milestones.
 
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I'm not really seeing the point of Halo Waypoint. 11 Avatar awards. So what? I don't even need Halo Wars (which I won't get) to get anything special. Just ODST.

Also, it counts as a game with achievements (lame...) so if you delete it, you lose your Avatar Awards until you re-install it :\
 
[quote name='KingBroly']I'm not really seeing the point of Halo Waypoint. 11 Avatar awards. So what? I don't even need Halo Wars (which I won't get) to get anything special. Just ODST.

Also, it counts as a game with achievements (lame...) so if you delete it, you lose your Avatar Awards until you re-install it :\[/QUOTE]

I couldn't get it to delete, but I didn't really try hard enough. I only wanted the award to see how they work and to take an avatar picture with anyway.
 
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