Xbox 360 "Red Ring" Leads To Frustration, Anger

I must admit that with my new HDTV it is very tempting to take the plunge on a Microsoft Xbox 360.  I've held back for a number of reasons, but somewhere in my Top 3 is the fact that Xbox consoles have this bad habit of just up and dying.  The "Red Rings of Death" have plagued many gamers including Bradley Trousdale of GamersBlock.com.  He ponders the long-term effect on Microsoft's Xbox division if the "Red Ring" issue continues to be an ongoing problem.

Microsoft does have a great line-up planned for this fall and holiday season but, with the hardware failure rate of  Xbox 360, the future doesn't look all so promising. Try and think about this situation like this: A gamer is trying to decide which of the new consoles to purchase. The Xbox 360 has some great games coming out, and said gamer plunks down the money for the Xbox 360. Now, lets say this gamer has the misfortune of getting the RROD and has to return the console for repair. During this repair, he/she misses out on the release of Halo 3, BioShock, or Call of Duty 4. That is going to be one pissed off gamer. Now, what do you think that gamer is going to do? Maybe that gamer will just be pleased as punch and sit quietly while their system is repaired. Doubtful. Someone new to the Xbox 360 who experiences these problems will be turned off to the console and possibly switch brands.

Maybe it's just me, but I have this crazy idea that when I spend a large amount of money on a new gizmo, said gizmo should function without a major malfunction for years.  I take excellent care of my possessions.  My Nintendo Entertainment System from 1987 is still alive and kicking, original 72-pin connector and all.  My 1991 Super NES lives on with only a discolored case as a battle scar (damn you, cheap plastic that turns yellow with age).  How can I expect my hypothetical Xbox 360 to live for fifteen years or more if most Xbox consoles don't even last fifteen months?