David Cooper

"The Billion Dollar Ring - The hardware failure that almost killed Xbox" tells the story of the "Red Ring of Death" (RROD). When Microsoft launched the Xbox 360, it was a hit. But soon, consoles started dying. Three red lights flashed on the front, signaling general hardware failure caused by overheating and brittle solder. Tech journalist David Cooper reveals the internal panic. Failure rates hit 30%.
Microsoft faced a choice: Deny the problem and kill the brand, or pay up. executive Peter Moore asked Steve Ballmer for $1.15 billion to extend warranties and fix every console. This book is a case study in crisis management. It shows how owning up to a massive mistake saved the Xbox division, allowing them to survive and eventually thrive, despite shipping a broken product.