xbox hacking

[sectac]

i beleive this is a horrible system. If i spend 200$ for something i basically will never own. Let alone Change in ANY way. forget the M$ warrenty, who cares, i want to be able to buy my system and change it how i may, next thing you know they will sue me when i hit it with a hammer because im "modding" the box

[alittlebitnumb]

Good point, sectac, but it is funny you mention destroying your XBox or MS software. When you destroy any MS owned proeduct, you are released from the terms under the EULA

So that is covered too:

Termination. Without prejudice to any other rights,
Manufacturer or MS may cancel this EULA if you do not abide by
the terms and conditions contained herein. In such event, you
must destroy all copies of the SOFTWARE and all of its
component parts.

I am gonna attach the Windows EULA

Also, I have found user agreements for the XBox:

http://contracts.corporate.findlaw.c...000.11.28.html

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/26995.html

You'll note that, presuming it didn't say that in any original Xbox EULA (we haven't got one, we don't know), this is a supplementary EULA which says modification and/or creation of derivative works from the hardware is forbidded. The probability right now is that Microsoft is just giving itself wide-ranging rights with a view to doing a fairly simple thing, i.e. stopping people using hacks and mods to steal stuff. It's also unlikely to be of concern to anybody who either doesn't want to use Xbox Live (or the Xbox as a console full stop), or who is using a mod chip you can switch off.

I'll call MS and ask where we can find a END USER EULA.

[darkes]

This does have a lot to do with DMCA, which puts the US out of step with the rest of the World. For example, in Europe it is perfectly legal to record TV programs by any means, rip your own CDs etc., as long as it is just for your personal use.

The hardware mods to the XBox fall into a grey area, as they are often used to get round the copy protection used for games. I'm sure lots of people know how to do this, as it can just involve connecting a couple of points on the PCB, which for some reason MS left open

On the other hand, if I want to reflash/replace the ROM to use it as a *nix box, I cannot see what grounds MS has for objecting, except for the fact they don't sell *nix
After all I can mod my fridge, microwave, PC, car, lawnmower, dishwasher if I want to (getting a bit carried away there )

On the sale & return of games & related hardware, there is a very different attitude from some leading stores in the UK. They allow you to return any product for a refund within 10 days if you don't like it. You have to fill in some paperwork, so that they can see you are not abusing the system, but basically if you buy a game that doesn't match your expectations, you get your money back. Same thing applies to hardware - I purchased a new sound card for my home PC which didn't work correctly. Took it back, saying I was sure it was hardware error, and was immediately offered a refund or a replacement.
btw The new card worked perfectly, but it was nice to know they would refund my money if for some reason the card was incompatible with my system.