Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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180 of 187 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thanks MS, May 12, 2006
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
I bought the Play and Charge kit (which converts your wireless controller into a wired one while the battery is being charged up) when the X360 launched last year. It does the job, but it takes way too long to recharge the batteries and, while it gave the appearance of charging the batteries while the X360 was in standby mode, that didn't seem to speed the process up all that much. So, I was hyped when I saw that the Quick Charge kit was coming out and I'm glad I picked one up.
Not only can the Quick Charge kit charge up more than one battery at a time, it charges the batteries (at least ) 10 x's faster than the Play and Charge kit. I've had this kit for two weeks now and I can confirm that it does charge up a spent X360 controller battery in about 2 hours and two in about four. Most of mine have charged fast than those times, but I've never let one of the batteries totally die before switching it out (the ring of light flashing that the current battery is dying drives me nuts). The Quick Charge kit comes with one rechargeable battery, so be sure to pick up an extra if you don't already have one. With at least one extra charged battery @ all times, you should be set.
There's not really much else to say about this kit. It works and it works well. I would definitely recommend this kit over the Play and Charge kit b/c A) the Quick Charge kit is SO much faster, B) you won't have a recharging controller plugged into the front of your X360 as you would with the Play and Charge kit, and C) I've had some tech issues with the Play and Charge kit. (Sometimes it says the battery is charged, but when I use the battery and check its strength, the X360 dashboard says the battery is only 1/2 charged. Sure enough, in just a few hours, the ring of light will start to flash again, indicating that the supposedly charged battery is not so charged now. It doesn't happen every time, but often enough to be annoying. The Play and Charge kit also seems to take different lengths of time to charge the batteries. And sometimes, if I leave the controller plugged in, the recharge light will turn back to red after having been green for anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. Not so good.)
If you own wireless X360 controllers and game a lot, the Quick Charge kit will be worth more to you than 100,000 achievement points. Check it out! wb
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50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A luxury item for your console, March 10, 2007
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
This is an excellent option for people who own the wireless controllers. It will save you money over time. The wireless controller of the XB360 can go through a set (2) of AA batteries in about two week's time, if you play heavily.
This is a well-designed and attractive product. The color of the unit matches the color of the 360 perfectly. It is an excellent addition to your collection of accessories for your 360.
I bought one of these units and tested it. It worked as advertised. The performance of the battery pack is better than a set of rechargeable NiMH (1600 mAH) from Rayovac. However, the battery pack did not perform as well as a set of Energizer Alkalines. The Alkalines lasted slightly longer than the Microsoft battery pack.
I was not surprised that the pack lasted longer than the rechargeable AA. Microsoft even stated that rechargeable batteries should not be used in the controllers. I suspect this is due to the fact that typical nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries are 1.2 volts. Whereas disposable alkaline batteries are 1.5 volts. Even in my Logitech wireless controller, for my PS2, the rechargeables do not last nearly as long as disposable alkalines.
Should you buy this Microsoft Quick Charge kit? Would you be better off buying a set of regular AA rechargeable batteries and a good charger?
I can tell you that a typical Rayovac battery charger will recharge a set of AA batteries faster than this kit can recharge its battery pack. And if you shop around, it will also become obvious that two rechargeable AAs and a recharger will cost you slightly less than the purchase price of this Quick Charge kit. And, as C. Johnson stated in his review further down, you can use your rechargeables for other devices, like a digital camera. So, in terms of versatility and applicability to various applications, you cannot beat a set of rechargeable AAs. However, a set of NiMH AAs will not give you the same performance as this battery pack. And, if you are like me, I want to keep all of my video gaming equipment together, in one place. I prefer not to share my video game console's accessories with other devices.
I make part of my living as a computer technician. Because I own a lot of equipment that require AA batteries, I buy my alkaline batteries in bulk. And I only own one controller for my 360. I am also a solitary gamer. Because of that situation, I gave my Quick Charge kit to my best friend, who is also a technician. He has three controllers. He is also a social gamer. Therefore, he has a greater need for this product. At this point, I am back to using disposable alkalines for my controller.
I consider the Microsoft Quick Charge kit to be a luxury accessory for your XBox 360. It is not necessary, for most people. And there are cheaper ways of avoiding the cost of disposable alkalines. However, this is a very neat and tidy solution. And, if you are one of those gamers who somehow managed to break your controller's original battery holder, then this is a very, very good option for you.
I can also recommend this Quick Charge kit for parents. This will save you from having to make a trip to the convenience store on a Saturday afternoon. Picture this scenario. Your child has company over, and they are playing a game on the XBox. All of a sudden, the controllers stop responding. The next thing you know, the children are begging you to go to the store and get them some batteries. This kit, along with extra battery packs, can help prevent these inconveniences. And, because the battery pack is unique, there is no danger that another member of your household will take it and use it for their digital camera. You are guaranteed to have available a fully charged battery pack for your gaming needs.
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902 of 1,030 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Worst blister pack I've ever encountered., September 15, 2008
Fun:1.0 out of 5 stars
I am slouched in my computer chair as I type this... bloody, winded, and defeated. A mere shadow of my former, confident self. I have long known that it is folly to wrestle with a blister pack without the benefit of scissors, but just as I always feared... they've finally built a better blister pack.
I cut the top edge. Thinking the fell packaging bested like so many that preceded it, I laid down my scissors, placed my fingers into its open wound, and pulled apart with great force, barely suppressing an animalistic victory cry...
It is a good thing I supressed that victory cry, friends, for had I not I would have looked very foolish (in addition to stressing my intercostal cartilage) when the package refused to yield, and laughed off my efforts.
"Alright", I thought. "I've some more tricks up my sleeve." I reclaimed the scissors and set to work removing the left seam of the package. An unholy snap! My scissors lay broken, and my arm (not my hand, ladies and gentlemen, but my ARM) was slowly welling up dark, rich blood in the deep gouge left, presumably, by the flying bit of brittle plastic which the package had flung at me, to protect itself against my insistent slicing.
I retreated to the bathroom, treated and dressed my wound, and crept back, warily, to the field of battle. The package lay on my bed, looking quite battered, yet smug and very self-satisfied. I live alone. Today, there will be no reinforcements. Knowing that all the hopes of my discharged Xbox 360 controller batteries depended on my efforts and my efforts alone, I crawled to the scissors on the floor, and fell back immediately to a safe distance to plan my next attack.
I decided that where guile had failed, boldness might succeed. I would cut directly down the center of the front side of the package: straight through the heart of the renegade guardian of my Quick Charge Kit. I did so, with speed and precision comparable to that of a feline ninja... or at least a fat guy with a serious grudge against a plastic shell. The gash was glorious. No fewer than 4 inches long, and terminating below the product within, so that even if the package proves unusually hardy, I will almost certainly pry the fault apart far enough to retrieve the device within. I placed one hand on the right seam, and the other near the bottom of the new gash, of which I'd made a gift to my adversary, and pull will all my strength. My ribs glow white hot, filling the room with excruciating brightness and my consciousness with a pain the likes of which I hope never to know again. I drop the package onto the bed, and stumble back to my chair, falling backward into it.
As I lay here, maybe dying, I reflect on that final sequence of mistakes... which ONE, if any, could have saved my life and sanity, had I only not made it... Was it my choice to use scissors instead of fire? Was it my hubris-fueled insistence upon opening the package with my own efforts, just because I am 25 and an adult who should be able to fend for himself, where I might have simply left it aside until I next visited my parents four states away, and then, tail tucked firmly betwixt my thights, I could have asked mommy to do it. Was it my decision to buy this product in the first place? Who can say, for certain?
My musing continues... if I recover from my injuries, how will I respond? Do I launch another assault on the dread unopenable package? Do I crown it the prince of my home, swear eternal fealty, and begin designing a new flag to represent the sheer dominance and magnificence of this mighty blister pack?
But one thing, gentle reader, is certain: you can learn from my experience. Just say no to inaccessibly-packaged consumer goods! It's not too late. *cough* *cough*
Avenge... me...
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