Customer Reviews

Xbox Fan Book: Rock the Box (Ibook Fan Books)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a well written collection of XBOX hacks, tips, tricks and recommendation. There are game recommendations, pointers to hardware, and advice on how to hook it up and hack it. It's fairly current as of late 2004, but the information about the games will stale rapidly as 2005 starts up. There is some excellent information here on network setup and XBOX live.

This is a good additional gift for someone getting their first XBOX for the holidays.

Since my son is an Xbox fan, I decide to review the new book Xbox Fan Book by Mark Holt Walker (O'Reilly). This book surprised me by being more than I expected...

Chapter List: Preface; Up and Running; Maximizing Your Xbox Experience; Networking the Xbox; Take It Online with Xbox Live; Xbox Accessories; Xbox Buyer's Guide: The Best Games Now and in the Future; The Future Is Bright; Index

This is a really small book, both in number of pages (104) and dimension (like 6 inches by 6 inches). Very colorful, with lots of photographs and screen shots of different games. I was expecting something that would appeal to total newbies to gaming and the Xbox, but surprisingly there's more to it than that. The Up and Running chapters are the typical "how do you hook it up" material, but the networking and Xbox Live chapters are very useful for any level of Xbox'er who hasn't taken that step. Not only does the author explain how to network your Xbox, but there's a pretty good troubleshooting section there also. He also references other websites and books that will take you much deeper into the internal workings of the console if you want to move in that direction. Couple all this with an irreverent wit and writing style, and this is actually fun to read as more than just an instructional manual.

So... If you're buying an Xbox (for yourself or someone else), spend the few extra dollars and pick up this book to go with it. It's the book that probably *should* have been packaged with the Xbox in the first place.