XBox 360... where're the usability guys?

I just read Rick Segal's post about some of the problems with FilmLoop's setup/installation, and it got me thinking about my recent XBox adventure...

As I said earlier, I was playing with a friend's new Xbox recently. Okay, so first of all, the XBox 360 has some really stunning graphics. Wow. Apparently, the games I was looking at were only using one of 3 cores to power these graphics, so double wow for Microsoft. I really hope Sony doesn't disappoint with the PS3.

Now, here's where I begin to hate the Xbox. Does ANYONE consider that ugly user interface usable? Small things weren't even done right: You've got a window with two buttons to choose from. Which one's hilighted? I'm not sure... there's a subtle shading difference between the two. Haven't we seen Mac OS? The selected option is bright and blue... the others are not.

Gripe 2: It can't multitask... Want to download a 1.2 GB demo game or a 500 MB movie? Go for it. Oh, but you can't do anything else while it's downloading ... nope, can't put it in the background... kiss your XBox goodbye until it's done.

Gripe 3: Okay, you've downloaded that video. Want to watch it again? No, you can't just go back to the store area and have it tell you "you've already got it, let me show it to you." It'll tell you that "it's over on that dashboard thingy", throws you to a different part of the uber-confusing UI and lets you find and play the video. Nice.

Gripe 4: Want to watch movies or pictures or audio from your home computer? Cool... oh, wait... you need to install software on there first. Great. Thanks. Wonderful user experience. Anyone notice that iTunes and iPhoto's network-content discovery just works?

Gripe 5: Menus aren't even laid out properly. To use the Network gaming features of the device, you have to have an XBox Live membership. Gold memberships cost $60 a year (ouch). Silver are free. Go to the screen where you choose which one you want, and you see three options... Where's the silver? Dunno... tonnes of screen space free... Oh wait... does that tiny little grey arrow down there mean there's another option below the three we see? It DOES! Oh look, there's the silver setting!

Gripe 6: Setting up the FREE XBox Live account requires you to enter all sorts of info, like an email address, etc. all with an on-screen keyboard being driven by your joystick. fun. THEN it asks you for an address, and phone number, etc. AND it won't let you go unless you give it valid info. WHY AM I DOING THIS FOR A FREE MEMBERSHIP!?

Gripe 7: That's not all. Once you've chosen the FREE membership level, it has the NERVE to suggest that maybe you should really pay for the Gold service and asks you if you want to go back or not. The option to Go Back is the default option... not continue. Nice. Real nice.

Gripe 8: So, as a part of that Live signup process you've created yourself a nickname. Want to change that nickname? Sure. But it'll cost 'ya. Oh yeah, that's not free either. Great. And WHY exactly is that? Thanks Guys.

Anyway, on the whole, the grpahics and gameplay of some of the games we played were astoundingly good. The usability / interface/etc. of the whole rest of the device? I can't imagine it getting much worse. Hopefully they have some sort of software upgrade that fixes all this (and would use that built-in HD I guess).

Having seen this device, I'm not as convinced it'll be the trojan horse into the living room... Let's see what Apple can come up with there..