Join Amazon Prime and ship Two-Day for free and Overnight for $3.99. Already a member? Sign in.

Quantity:

More Buying Choices

60 used & new from $3.62

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

Tell the Publisher! I�d like to read this book on Kindle Don�t have a Kindle? Get yours here.

Hacking the Xbox: An Introduction to Reverse Engineering (Paperback)

by Andrew Huang (Author) "Hardware hacking may seem daunting at first because of the sophisticated tools that are required for some projects..." (more)
Key Phrases: table opcodes, southbridge chip, front panel assembly, Andy Green, Xbox Linux, Xbox Live (more...)

4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)

List Price:	$24.99
Price:	$16.49 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save:	$8.50 (34%)
	Special Offers Available
	o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

25 new from $9.27 35 used from $3.62

Also Available in:	List Price:	Our Price:	Other Offers:
Paperback			12 used & new from $4.01
School & Library Binding			Order it used!

Special Offers and Product Promotions

Purchase this entertainment book and get 12 issues to either Rolling Stone, Men's Journal or Us Weekly for $2.95 each. That's less than $0.25 an issue. Here's how (restrictions apply)

Frequently Bought Together

Price For All Three: $68.82

Show availability and shipping details

This item: Hacking the Xbox: An Introduction to Reverse Engineering by Andrew Huang
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
The Black Art of Xbox Mods by Jonathan Harbour
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
Game Console Hacking: Having Fun While Voiding Your Warranty by Joe Grand
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Game Console Hacking: Having Fun While Voiding Your Warranty

by Joe Grand

4.5 out of 5 stars (6) $29.54

Hardware Hacking Projects for Geeks

by Scott Fullam

4.7 out of 5 stars (11) $19.77

Hacking Video Game Consoles: Turn your old video game systems into awesome new portables (ExtremeTech)

by Benjamin Heckendorn

4.6 out of 5 stars (8) $26.99

Hardware Hacking: Have Fun While Voiding Your Warranty

by Joe Grand

4.5 out of 5 stars (17) $29.54

Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition

by Jon Erickson

4.3 out of 5 stars (56) $32.97

› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
This--this being the attitude encapsulated in Andrew "bunnie" Huang's Hacking the Xbox--is why a lot of people got into the computer industry in the first place. These people liked taking things apart and figuring out how they worked, then making them serve purposes they weren't originally designed for and sharing the new discoveries with others of like mind. Sure, Huang's book is about how to how to turn Microsoft's game console into a high-performance, general-purpose personal computer with a small price tag, and it contains lots of details about the how the heavily advertised gizmo is put together. But you can get the technical material on the Web. What's valuable about Huang's work is that he communicates the pure joy of taking the Xbox apart, figuring out how it works--despite its many designed-in anti-hacking features--and making it do new things. This book reads like the journal of a seventeenth-century voyage of discovery.

There's a wealth of information in these pages about how to disassemble and reverse-engineer electronics, and Huang is careful to show you what tools you need, and how to use them (don't worry if you don't know how to use a soldering iron--that's covered here). There also are step-by-step guides (complete with photos) to a couple of projects, and interviews with key figures in the Xbox-hacking community. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to enjoy a Microsoft Xbox game console without the mindless tedium of playing video games. This book shows you how to open an Xbox, make modifications to it (from a cosmetic LED color change, to putting in a new power supply, to adding a USB connector), and make the changes needed to get Linux running on it. In the process, readers get an education in reverse engineering electronic circuits, as well as in basic electronic techniques (soldering, crimping, etc) and in the intellectual property law that governs hacker activity.

Review
"A piece of simple, succint eloquence, this has fast become one of the most treasured books we own." -- PopularMechanics.com

"Although it's a technical book, it unfolds like a spy novel." -- Peter Wayner, Slashdot.org, June 26, 2003

"If you are interested in programming or even hacking, you’re going to love this book." -- Cosmos Gaming, December 19, 2004 http://www.cosmosgaming.com/reviewother.php?subaction=showfull&id=1103512869&archive=&start_from=&ucat=9&

"an elegant, smart, and accessible introduction to hacking that happens to use the Xbox as a learning tool" -- San Francisco Bay Guardian, September 17, 2003

An introduction to copyright law in the digital age -- The New York Times, July 10, 2003

I recommend this book even to those who don't want to hack an Xbox...an interesting and informative read. -- About.com

If you are interested in hardware, software hacking and reverse engineering - this book should be on your shelf. -- E. Jonathan Hardy, Host, TechWeek TV!, August 2003

Teaches readers to think like hardware hackers, using the game console the way a med school teacher uses Gray's Anatomy -- SecurityFocus, July 2003

[Huang's] account of how he cracked the Xbox is fascinating and his perseverance is awesome. -- Personal Computer World, UK, August 21, 2003

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: No Starch Press; 1 edition (July 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1593270291
ISBN-13: 978-1593270292
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #367,005 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category: (What's this?)
#96 in Books > Computers & Internet > Business & Culture > Security

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
Hardware hacking may seem daunting at first because of the sophisticated tools that are required for some projects. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
table opcodes, southbridge chip, front panel assembly, standby voltage, firmware device, continuity meter, signaling convention, hardware hackers, boot code, bus traces, modification wire, crimp terminal, small flathead screwdriver, hardware attacks, tagged memory, connector pinout, debug port, tap board, circuit card assembly, power supply connector, hacking community, soldering iron tip, reset vector, hardware primitives, pin numbering

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Andy Green, Xbox Linux, Xbox Live, Dan Johnson, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Brief Primer, Broken Power Supply, Caveat Hacker, Very Difficult Problems, Bruce Schneier, Franz Lehner, Michael Steil, Radio Shack, Bonito Boats, Soldering Techniques, Supreme Court, Agent Under Fire, Flash Boot Loader, Michael Robertson, Mirage Editions, Ron Rivest, Sourceforge Xbox-Linux, The Best Xbox Game

New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 5 books:

Artificial Intelligence by Elaine Rich in Front Matter, and page 134
Getting Started in Electronics by Forrest M. Mims III in Front Matter
Digital Systems Engineering by William J. Dally in Back Matter
Property Law (Green's Concise Scots Law) by Peter Robson on page 175
The Art of Electronics by Paul Horowitz in Front Matter

1 book cites this book:

on page 52

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

RFID Toys by Amal Graafstra

Discusses:

Computer Repair with Diagnostic Flowcharts by Morris Rosenthal

Discusses:

Hacking Digital Cameras by Chieh Cheng

Discusses:

Hacking Video Game Consoles by Benjamin Heckendorn

Discusses:

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	81% buy the item featured on this page: Hacking the Xbox: An Introduction to Reverse Engineering 4.5 out of 5 stars (24) $16.49
	7% buy The Black Art of Xbox Mods 4.2 out of 5 stars (13) $22.79
	5% buy Hacking Video Game Consoles: Turn your old video game systems into awesome new portables (ExtremeTech) 4.6 out of 5 stars (8) $26.99
	4% buy Game Console Hacking: Having Fun While Voiding Your Warranty 4.5 out of 5 stars (6) $29.54

Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

(What's this?)

Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.

xbox(2)

crime drama(1)

encryption(1)

hack(1)

hacking(1)

hacks(1)

hardware(1)

security(1)

stereo(1)

See all 10 tags...

Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search

No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Reviews

24 Reviews

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.5 out of 5 stars (24 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gentlemen, Start Your Soldering Irons..., January 23, 2004

By	Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

I bought this book, probably as most people do, out of an interest in getting into my Xbox from a software viewpoint. I wound up enjoying it from an entirely different viewpoint - the insights into the obscure process of hardware hacking that people like Andrew Huang love to do. In the process I gained considerable respect for Microsoft's ability to protect their investment in what has become the number two console in the game world.

To put this in context, the Xbox is really a full fledged PC, repackaged and sealed up with security to prevent game copying and to stop buyers from turning in into the ultimate cheap computer. Microsoft sells the Xbox considerably below manufacturing cost, using it as a loss leader to sell games. The last thing they want is for everyone to turn the Xbox into $150 computers. Hackers like Huang saw the opportunity to do exactly that and began the ultimate adventure a trip into the devious mind of Microsoft's engineers. Every bit as exciting as the latest game disk.

This is both the story of that effort - the creation of a fully functional Linux computer and a fascinating training manual on what actually goes into the hardware hacking process. Huang understands full well the danger that he might go over the heads of his readers and makes every effort to explain exactly what is going on. He has a lucid, self-effacing style that is like a geek chat session. For someone like me, who started out with a pile of 'chips' and a breadboard, and then graduated to 16 Kilobyte memory boards it is pure fun to see what has happened in the past 40 years.

I also was astonished at the ingenious subterfuges Microsoft used to hide the Xbox's innards from casual observers. For those who always are critical of Microsoft's capabilities, this is a lesson in hubris. Huang proves that the time honored traditions of hacking as a way to learn and grow still exist, and that not everyone with a soldering iron is out to bring the Internet down. This is probably the most technically informative book I've read in the past 10 years. If you are a 'gotta know' kind of person, this is a must have book.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Also a great diary of reverse engineering!, June 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Hacking the Xbox: An Introduction to Reverse Engineering (Paperback)

I got this book mainly out of curiousity. I don't have much background in computers, especially not when it come to how they work, other than a firm belief that it's all done with magic.

The great thing about this book is that it reads like a buddy explaining something to you. It's not a sterile textbook about AD-SRAM 511 chips or whatever, it's a book about a guy who tinkered with something he bought, and kept a log about it. Even when it gets technical, it's easy to skim over those parts and still know what he was doing. A great mix of extremely informative but at the same time not overwhelming. Reading what he thought and the struggles he and others have gone through just for the *right to talk* (or 'Freedom of Speech', as I've heard it called somewhere...) about what they want is as interesting as the xbox motherboard itself.

If you're looking for instructions about modchips and playing copied games, this *isn't* the book for you. On the other hand, if you've ever wondered how these systems work, and how people are ever able to figure this stuff out in the first place, then you'll never find a better book.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soldering techniques, debugging tips, and much, much more, September 15, 2003

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Hacking The Xbox: An Introduction To Reverse Engineering is, quite literally, the book that Microsoft (makers of the popular Xbox video game console) does not want you to read. Individual chapters comprehensively addresses in depth how to modify this gaming console for one's own ends, from physically opening it (and voiding the Microsoft warranty) to installing a blue LED, replacing a broken power supply, reverse engineering Xbox security, developing software for the Xbox on Xbox-Linux, soldering techniques, debugging tips, and much, much more. A knowledgeable and technically detailed instructional, Hacking The Xbox offers specific, authoritative, accessible information about reverse engineering a specific device, as well as basic principles that can be generalized to other reverse engineering hardware projects.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 24 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Peerless
This is an absolute MUST BUY for everyone who likes to tinker with electronic devices - it's like porn for hardware hackers :)

Bunnie's description of how he and the... Read more

Published 7 months ago by Rich Turner

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Reading
Very good book if you are a beginner at computer/xbox mods. Need to have a little electrical knowledge to understand a lot of what is in the book. Read more

Published 17 months ago by B. Wilkins

4.0 out of 5 stars Has a lot of Info, but is old
This book was published a couple of years ago, so it's problem is that it doesn't cover the newer 1.6 Xboxes and doesn't contain Microsoft Dashboard 5960 hacks. Read more

Published 22 months ago by Ben Isaacs

5.0 out of 5 stars Very, Very, Satisfied ! This book is .... My precious !
I really like to Thank's for this Amazing book, well done ... this book is a beauty and fully contain a lot of informations about my beloved XBOX System ... and more ... Read more

Published 24 months ago by Hermogenes Tavares

3.0 out of 5 stars not exactly what I was looking for
This book could be a good resource for someone interested in general hacking and reverse engineering, but it fails to provide enough details or describe enough Xbox-specific... Read more

Published on August 30, 2006 by Magnus

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent
excellent book. I don't even own an xbox but I want to get into commercial hardware reverse engineering, there aren't any books out there about hardware reverese engineering other... Read more

Published on August 12, 2006 by bob

2.0 out of 5 stars Hacking the Xbox
The author tries to give a basic idea of reverse engineering but with gapping holes on code due to fear of prosecution from Microsoft; only a basic idea is given. Read more

Published on August 7, 2006 by Kile W. Kinney

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, even for non-Xbox owners
I'm not much into video games, and don't even own an Xbox - so why did I buy this book? It is simply, one of the best guides to understanding modern electronics at a practical... Read more

Published on April 21, 2006 by Onyx Parrot

5.0 out of 5 stars A great introduction to hardware hacking
This is a spectacular book-- it is not, however, a collection of all the hacks you can do to an Xbox; if that's what you're hoping for, look elsewhere. Read more

Published on February 28, 2006 by J. S. Sharp

4.0 out of 5 stars hacking the xbox
I did not read this book cover to cover, but its very insiteful is how to hack the xbox and possible other electronics. Read more

Published on February 27, 2006 by William A. Hagen

› See all 24 customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; }