First of all, as an owner of all the big 3 gaming systems this generation and last, the Xbox and Xbox 360 get my vote for "Best Video Game Consoles of the Last Decade" in terms of the over-the-top FUN, game-playing ease (on & offline), killer-graphics & sound, and the highest quality and variety of exclusive games.
If you've never owned an Xbox, now is the time to jump in! For around $300, you get practically everything you need for two players to have infinite fun! In addition, Amazon.com has great deals on Xbox 360 games from $10 to $20 on factory-sealed games that are only a year or two old.
Pros of the Xbox 360 Slim:
* It really is whisper quiet.
* Better heat ventillation system. Safeguard mechanism to shut down before overheating.
* Semi-Internal 250 GB Hard Drive (different from the past 360 models)
* Built-in Wireless Modem
* Built-in Kinect Port for controller-less gaming coming this Nov. 2010
* Sleek, sexy, glossy-black finish on console that is smaller than its predicessors.
Cons of 360 Slim:
* Although it has the brand new Valhalla chip, the proven Jasper chip in the Elite bundles runs cooler (such as in the Limited Modern Warefare 2, Resident Evil 5, Splinter Cell:Conviction, and the Final Fantasy XIII Bundles). All have gigantic 250 GB hard drives with seemingly endless memory for storing games, videos, and music.
Here's my take, the latest Jasper-chipped 360 Elites were finally perfected, ran very cool & quiet, had the lowest incidents of Red Ring of Death from overheating, and an awesome 3-year warranty. The new Slims have taken one step backwards in that the game discs get much hotter. So, if you are looking for an Xbox 360 Elite for a your first Xbox 360 or just as a backup, I would highly recommend getting The Final Fantasy XIII Bundle with the free $50 FFXII facelate (my personal recommendation at $299) while you can because they have discontinued production of everything, but the Xbox 360 Slims.
My bottom line suggestion is to get the proven Jasper Elite while you still can, but you certainly won't be disappointed by the Xbox Slim. I just wish Xbox would have given us the choice of the new Slim design or the slightly larger Jasper Elites. Whatever you decide, HAPPY GAMING, you won't regreat buying an Xbox 360 as your primary gaming system! Nintendo Wii and PS3 aren't bad machines, just less fun than the Xbox 360 in my opinion from a veteran gamer who remembers when pinball machines and pong games ruled the arcades.