MS don't want to stop offline Mod-Chip Users?
So MS have fixed the software exploits for now with XBL 2.0. And why not? We damn them for the exploits they leave in Windows and expect them to be fixed. Yet they fix the exploits in an XBox and we damn them for it!?!?! Personally I'd hope new dash updates fixes exploits. After all I connect to XBL via the Internet. I'd like to think my XBox is safer than Windows when connected.
But what of the Mod-Chips?
It would be nice to think that MS don't have any problems with people using Mod-Chips if they want to use their XBox offline.
If this is the case then I have a couple of queries. We are now seeing the 5th Revision of the XBox. V1.0-V1.4
V1.0-V1.1 Apart from leaving the LPC sockets free from solder, XBLive dash was shipped as stardard. (I think. Some clarification would be useful for me.)
V1.2 First board revision to reduce manufacturing costs.
V1.3 Same as V1.2 but with the LFRAME disconnected. Why? The track is still there, and it doesn't reduce the manufacturing costs enough to warrent doing. But one major side effect. LPC based Mods stop working. Team Executer find a fix and the X2.1 becomes the X2.2. Standard LPC mods will not work. Other Mod Teams create their own work arounds.
V1.4 Another revision which reduces costs. Major pointer is a new TV Encoder Chip. Cheaper than the previous one. Again LPC based mods mysteriously stop working.
Teams are currently working on fixes and work arounds. Efforts are in another thread on these boards. As of today a 29 Wire mod works but still no LPC mods are working. Many theories as to why are floating but nothing concrete yet. Work in Progress.
To say MS are not bothered about Mod-Chip users would be nice, but in reality why make changes which won't have any significant impact to their manufacture costs?
The LPC port is a nice feature for the QA departments in the testing process. But it was exploited so a design revision closed the exploit. The LPC port was once again exploited, and the next design revision seems to have closed the new exploit. (hopefully mod teams will have the answers soon)
Do you really believe it's just a manufacture cost reducing exercise?
Anyone with a Mod-Chip is potentially lost revenue for MS. It is widely published that MS are running a loss leader on the hardware, are on a 3 yr game plan and are looking to profit from XBL and software sales.
With a loss on hardware and a modded Xbox, how do they recoup the money from software sales? Some users they'd never expect to recoup any money from. They want the XBox to run Linux, try hardware projects etc. But the rest?
Note to Board Mods: I realise this post is a little off topic, but there are at least 2 occasions people have rasied the point, and this is in response to them. Maybe posts regarding this matter should be moved to another topic.