by Ian Caithness

Created on: July 07, 2010   Last Updated: July 08, 2010

The Xbox 360 Slim has been given numerous names since its release at E3 2010. Some have dubbed it the "Xbox 360 250GB", others have called it the "Xbox 360 S" but the predominant term and official name for the latest console from Microsoft is the "Xbox 360 Slim" and the question upon most gamers minds is what makes this so different from the earlier release of the Xbox 360.

One of the first and most crucial differences is the inclusion of a 250GB hard drive that, in earlier consoles, was given a special place with the "Xbox 360 Elite". For gamers who make frequent use of Xbox Live, download games, movies and music or just a large collection of games that require such a gigantic memory, this is a welcome addition for gamers and is bound to be the reason that owners of the earlier edition of the Xbox 360 will be rushing to stores to trade their consoles for the "Xbox 360 Slim".

Another crucial feature is the introduction of integrated 802.11n wireless connectivity. What this means for the Microsoft gamer is that there is no longer the requirement to purchase the £50 Microsoft Wireless Adapter that was used in earlier editions of the Xbox 360 in order to connect to Xbox Live. The strongest feature about the inclusion of wireless technology is that Microsoft have decided to adopt the latest verified technology, the "n channel" which was made official by the wireless organisations of the world earlier this year.

The third and perhaps most under-stated feature in the hardware section of the "Xbox 360 Slim" is the decision to reduce the size of the power adapter which means that it no longer looks like a brick and should be rather manageable. One of the major complaints of the earlier edition of the Xbox 360 was that the power adapter was just too large considering the number of hardware faults that arose, including the famous "Red Ring of Death", overheating and fan noise.

Microsoft have decided to introduce new fans for the console which means that it will now be a quieter and more efficient console because the cooling vents will be well-placed to deal with the processing power that often stems from large games such as " The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion". What is, perhaps, a disappointment is that Microsoft have not invested in much improved processing power but have just upgraded the chip to cope with an ever-improving gaming standard.

On the design front, Microsoft have abandoned the white and plastic look that featured in the "Xbox 360 Core", "Xbox 360 Arcade"

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