The Fall Dashboard Update for the Xbox 360 introduces Facebook, Twitter, and Last FM. As part of the Xbox Preview Program, I was able to check out the highly advertised features. For the most part I came out as less than impressed. When you start up the 360 on the day of the update, immediately you’ll be asked to make the mandatory download. After the download, you’ll see the options to download the programs for Facebook, Twitter, Live.fm, and Zune Market Place. This is good, because if you don’t use a feature, Microsoft doesn’t force you to download it.
Twitter was rather straight forward, after putting in your name and password, it allows you to send 140 character messages (Tweets). On the Xbox, you can see all the trending topics, and a feed of the most recent tweets from people you follow. It does everything that the site offers and nothing more.
Facebook offers a similar level of functionality, giving you everything you’d expect. The only new thing that Facebook on the 360 offers is the ability to see a slideshow of all your pictures. Last.fm, for those who don’t know, provides internet radio on the 360. This feature I found most useful, because the listening to the music through the TV speakers is much better than doing it through a laptop, or computer speakers.
Overall, the update provides some nice features. Twitter and Facebook are nice. But they are standalone applications, meaning that you can’t for example, send a tweet or update your Facebook status while playing a game. Also, if you don’t own the chatpad, or a USB keyboard, using the on screen keyboard is clunky and you’re much better off using your phone or computer. Last.fm on the other hand is a great application, and it’s highly underrated.
Review by Darryl. Thanks!
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