So it downloaded itself last night.  My husband and son were getting ready to kick some Spartan-ass online when they logged into Xbox live.  For possibly the first time it was like being in some “the AI’s will take over” futuristic universe.  We pushed a button and a whole new product was delivered right to our home, no muss, no fuss, and it WORKED just right the first time.  I didn’t have to relogin, I didn’t have to do *anything*.

It was really really cool, but strange and alien at the same time.

And don’t even get me started on how cool the Netflix thing is.  The streaming isn’t perfect, there are those moments when it claims it’s “adjusting to compensate for your connection slowing down” which is probably doublespeak for “waiting for the buffering to catch up”.  But if you have your computer next to your TV (which we do, nerds that we are) you can make changes to your Netflix account and see them update almost instantly on your 360.   Sweeeeeeeet.

Okay, so the avatars are the same stupid Flash-design clones you see everywhere online (Twinky, AvaPeeps, what have you) but each of my three kids spent about an hour trying every single option out for these little bulbous-headed freaks.  I have to say, my daughter’s fashion sense is either truly cutting edge, or we’re going to have to have a chat when she hits high-school and I lose control of the wardrobe options.

More as I continue to explore.  I know the interface design isn’t for everyone, from an old-school artists’ POV, I keep thinking “but they’re WASTING all this space and these polygons”.  But it is easy and intuitive to navigate.

Now, to be fair, I haven’t explored the PS3 or the Sony Store online hookup yet, but after seeing this, I’m not sure I could be lured away.  I mean, I know lots of people HATE Microsoft, but when they choose to put their combined might behind a product (like their Xbox division seems to have done here) they manage to pull it off without the consumer having to rip their hair out.  It’s stylish, it’s easy to work with, it installed and I didn’t even have to get out a screwdriver or a 5lb sledge.  After custom-building my own computers since the late 80’s, there is a bit of relief that I dint’ have to get in and hack at stuff to make sure it works.

Now if I can just get my hands on GOW2 I think I’ll be all set for entertainment for a few weeks.