A startling exposé by Dean Takahash, writer of "Opening the Xbox" reveals the product quality issues that plagued the Microsoft XBox 360. From problems on the manufacturing floor (low yields, huge bonepile) to supplier's quality of components, Microsoft knowingly shipped a flawed product.

Microsoft knew it had flawed machines, but it did not delay its launch because it believed the quality problems would subside over time. With each new machine, the company figured it would ride the “learning curve,” or continuously improve its production. Even though Microsoft’s leaders knew their quality wasn’t top notch, they did not ensure that resources were in place to handle returns and quickly debug bad consoles. There were plenty of warning signs, but the company chose to ignore them. The different parts of the business weren’t aligned.

The full article can be read here.