Sadly I had to buy a new one, so it's probably 1.6 (or 1.6b) and I'll have to open it to mod it. This sucks, because Halcyon told me how to soft-mod older revisions, but I really didn't want to risk and buy a 2nd-hand xbox from some random guy.

Next is the modchip. I've read the stuff SilentAce wrote about the SpiderChip and I think it's supercool, but sadly there's no official distributor for Italy at the moment, so unless it's cheap (SilentAce: how much?) and someone is willing to buy it for me and send it along (but I guess oversea packages are very expensive), I'll have to solder like there was no tomorrow. I hope it's not a big deal, because fucking with a brand new console would suck deeply.

Would someone kindly suggest what modchip should I buy? Here's my choice. I was considering the Aladdin XT or the DUOX2, but if I'm not wrong I will need a separate LPT programmer to flash the bios chips... I've seen the Executer3 and the Xenium, they are probably much better, but look at how much they cost... are they worth the silly price? Do I need 15 bioses? I don't have extra money, so I'll buy what I need, no more. The hardware guy today asked me over 15 euro for two torx screwdrivers... what part of them is made of gold, exactly?

Any suggestion about modchips (and anything else that comes to your mind) will be appreciated.

Oh, don't forget to throw in tips about good games, and links to other xbox software (media players, dashboards, stuff).

Kisses.

EDIT: found someone selling spiderchips, looks like I won't solder after all. The prices are better, too. Click here, then Xbox->Linux Loading, and you'll see more choice. Unless somebody produces a good reason not to do so, I'm buying the Spiderchip.

I used evox autoinstaller... just one CD/DVD and a couple push of buttons and your on your way. It installs booting from disk, from hard drive... installs a spot to install emulators and also installs XBMC so that you can turn it into a PVR. Haven't looked back... oh and your going to HAVE to use Evox M8plus_16.bin file (256k) for your bios... thats it... no other bios will work. If you need thos files just send me a PM or hit me up on aim/yahoo... aim=silentace yahoo=powerdrake@yahoo.com

Hum I think I've read that the spiderchip has problems with 1.6 xbox. Anwyay, I just bought a duox2 for my uncle and it works good enough for his needs. It comes flashed with the xecutor2 bios (nice blue xbox logo that comes up!) AND evox m8 bios. However, you must use the xecutor2 bios with an 1.6 xbox, it's the default bios anyway. There's a switch on the chip to switch bios. Every game I tried worked fine, installed dashboard and everything, a very good choice.

As for the xenium ice, it's not much more expensive than the duox2, well, at least here. Uploading bioses is so easy with it, you start the webserver on the xenium os, upload the bios with your computer on the network, and voilą. That's what I have, and I love it, but I could have lived with a duox2, there just wasn't any available here when I got my xenium ice (40$ CAN difference in price btw).

edit: even tho silent ace says only the m8 bios will work, it ain't true. The xecutor2 bios that is flashed on the duox2 works on 1.6 and the m8 version on the duox2 doesn't work with 1.6. However, there's a special version of evox m8 available that works yeah, but it's not flashed on that chip, but who cares when you have the other one anyway.


Testing underwear in outer space

You probebly haven't looked at much spiderchip info then...

The only bios that works on it is m8_16 or m8plus_16 and since his is a 1.6b (most likely) he needs to use m8plus_16... unless the one your talking about is just the same that i speak of just hacked with some new images your wrong... it has to be 256k also because thats all the spider chip has for memory...

I have read numerous articles/posts of people trying x2/x3 bios and others of the sort and they blame it on the chip... talking bad about shit that was there fault in the first place. so even if one might work i would recommend doing the m8plus_16 for the fact that if you try one and it doesn't your screwed... spiderchip is a one time flash with 1.6boxes and if you fuck it up you have to get a programmer or find someones xbox to throw it in 1.0-1.5

My 2 cents

Edit: Also Terry Bogard if you have a 1.6b you might have to invest in a fiberglass pen to scrape some of the laquer (sp?) off of the board... microsofts battle against modchips was to cover the holes with clear coat lol... later

> Sadly I had to buy a new one, so it's probably 1.6 (or 1.6b) and I'll have to
> open it to mod it. This sucks, because Halcyon told me how to soft-mod older
> revisions, but I really didn't want to risk and buy a 2nd-hand xbox from some
> random guy.

You replace the hard drive (or you can load it up from a PC) and you don't need the DVD-ROM, though you can replace it, all that's left is the board and you're messing with that more if you need to install a mod chip in my opinion. I'd still just get a used one. The power supply is separate and replacable for $10. If it works, it works. I guess I can understand not wanting to buy a used one but I buy used PC parts all the time and to me this is no different.

Anyway congrats, it's going to be a lot of fun, the homebrew software is great and the scene is more alive than the Dreamcast scene IMHO because there is already great homebrew dev software (it's super easy to port your Linux applications to it, XBox Media Center is one)

> You probebly haven't looked at much spiderchip info then...
>
> The only bios that works on it is m8_16 or m8plus_16 and since his is a 1.6b
> (most likely) he needs to use m8plus_16... unless the one your talking about is
> just the same that i speak of just hacked with some new images your wrong... it
> has to be 256k also because thats all the spider chip has for memory...

Yeah I knew it needed a different evox m8 bios for the 1.6, I wasn't sure if it needed another for the 1.6b. Anyway, the problems I was talking about is just some stuff I saw some time ago on xbox-scene.


> I have read numerous articles/posts of people trying x2/x3 bios and others of
> the sort and they blame it on the chip... talking bad about shit that was there
> fault in the first place.

Ok so I was talking about the duox2, I don't know which version of the xecutor2 bios is on it, but it works with 1.6 (don't know about 1.6b though). It was the first time I saw the xbox logo turn blue hehe. They also flash the chip with the basic evoxm8, not the 1.6 version, so when you have a 1.6 with a duox, you can't use the evoxm8 bios that's already on the chip. That's all I was talking about. The xecutor2 bios on it does work with 1.6, but like I said, I don't remember about 1.6b.


> spiderchip is a one time flash with 1.6boxes and if you fuck it up you have to
> get a programmer or find someones xbox to throw it in 1.0-1.5

Hum, is the spiderchip preflashed with some bioses or it doesn't have any? We don't have those chips over here, no modchip seller/installer has any of those. Only xenium ice, duox2 and alladin. They can also flash the xbox bios with evox m8 but I prefer by far a chip.


Testing underwear in outer space

spiderchips come with a modified cromwell linux bios on them just to load your bios on it.