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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 005.8
EAN: 9781593270292
Edition: 1
ISBN: 1593270291
Label: No Starch Press
Manufacturer: No Starch Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 288
Publication Date: 2003-07
Publisher: No Starch Press
Studio: No Starch Press
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Editorial Review:
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.
Product Description:
Showing Xbox owners how to increase the value and utility of their system, Hacking the Xbox features step-by-step tutorials on hardware modification that teach basic hacking techniques as well as essential reverse engineering skills. Full discussions of the Xbox security mechanisms and other advanced hacking topics are here, along with practical pointers from hacking gear resources to soldering techniques. The book also covers the social and political implications of hacking and profiles the humans behind the hacks in candid interviews.
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
I bought this book for my then teenage son who wanted his XBox to do more than what Mr. Gates wanted it to do. Phil astounded me with the skills he developed in soldering, mechanics, and searching for the resources he needed.
Bunnie goes into great detail to explain not just how to do the job physically, but weaves a tale of how Microsoft has attempted to secure the XBox and leads the reader along a road of computer hardware discovery.
Well it worked. Phil not only turned his XBox into a fully-functional linux box but he became inspired and this year graduated from college as a computer engineer.
Thanks, Bunnie.
Rating:  -
I purchased this book because I would like to learn about reverse engineering without getting a degree. Tinkering with an Xbox, which can be purchased for less than $50, sounds like a great idea. The book, sadly, is short on actual projects to learn from. The vast majority is about hacking, reverse engineering, and legal issues related to these activities. The book is well written and the arguments for the freedom to reverse engineer and invent in your own garage beautifully argued. It made for a really great read but left me wanting regarding the original reason I purchased it.
Rating: -
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 XBox hacking community came to circumvent the XBox's security infrastructure is a wonderful tale in itself. The fact that Bunnie describes the methodical approach taken, with its several false-starts and failures to its eventual success is a great lesson for hackers everywhere - a systematic approach (plus a smidgen of luck and more than a little inspiration) is generally the only way to overcome significant odds.
But this book offers far more than just the story of how the XBox was hacked and the ... ahem ... wonders of the DMCA - it is an invaluable guide to anyone interested in creating their own devices. The sections on soldering techniques, board manufacturing, etc., equipment suggestions, etc., is a boon to anyone who has an urge to create something rather than just dream about it.
I have been hacking hardware ever since I was 7 and I took apart my record player trying to work out how they managed to fit all four of the Beatles into such a small space! I have obsessively dismantled practically every electronic device I've ever owned and built several electronic devices from scratch more than I can count. I have a degree in Computer Science & Microelectronics and have worked on teams building missile guidance and weapon aiming technologies. And yet, I've learned more practical skill (as opposed to theoretical knowledge) from this book than my entire 1st year at college.
So, if you're interested in tinkering with hardware or are interested in how others do it, do yourself a favor and order this book now. You won't be disappointed :)
Rating:  -
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. It is not a how-to book, but a book that will make you think and try stuff on your own. Lot of information on copyrights, DCMA and stuff like that. A great book to show how to get started, methods that can be used, and computer structure. If you are a computer wiz, then this book would seem basic, if not this would be a good book to read before you start hacking.
Rating: -
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. Otherwise, it's a wonderful book for someone looking to do something more interesting with their old Xbox, I mean, now that it's place is being taken by the newer 360.
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