What’s the difference between an XBOX360 and a computer? Not much these days

[#1]

This year at E3 Microsoft announced some new additions to the XBOX360 video game console that will make it a more social experience for players. One of the fastest growing social platforms on the web right now is Facebook. Microsoft announced an add-on that uses Facebook Connect to allow XBOX360 players to take gameplay photos and upload them to their Facebook account automatically.

With innovations like this, it begs the question: are personal computers going to become obsolete?

The answer is “no.” But, as technology advances, we may not be as tethered to our personal computers, because we will have other devices to help us stay connected.

Microsoft’s goal is to make the XBOX360 an extension of your personal computer. They want consumers to be able to access music, movies and pictures on their television sets – all using the gaming console as the entertainment hub. And if you have access to all your entertainment content, you probably want access to your social networks. Instead of huddling around a small computer monitor trying to see what your friends posted, you will be able sit back on the couch with your controller and update your status or write a Tweet while playing your favorite games.

Of course, this means your game console is a bit more complicated. No more putting in a single cartridge and turning it on. (Or, when that fails, taking it out, blowing on it, and putting it back in. Tech support is a bit more complicated than that these days.)

So as your game console gets smarter, getting it to work 100% of the time can be difficult. If you’re having trouble accessing the Internet on it, or setting up parental controls, luckily Geek Squad offers up a service to help you. You can learn more about it here.