You can revert the firmware if you want to do that. And then after that, you can add any modchip you deem fit I guess.

I am pretty sure he is about right with 1 and 2. Not sure about 3 though.

The only question is how long will Microsoft let modded consoles go on Live?

Actually the try before you buy philosophy is neither lame nor twisted. It is the results of years of bad games developed by subpar companies. Heck, even established companies comes out with shitty games at time.

Demos are one way to go, and the XBOX Live is quite a good place to try new games. It is not perfect yet, but its a good step. Reading reviews can only help so much because it is such a personal experience when it comes to gaming.

I can test drive a car before buying. I can test a TV/digicam/DVD player/audio system before buying. Why can't I test games?

Anyway pars is buying original games and backing it up, its not as though he is buying pirated and backing it up (that would be sick). Sometimes, I find the "original" warriors jump on people far too easy.

As for the XBOX Live account, if you used your credit card to pay for the subscription, it is stated very clearly that it will automatically renew when it expires. Always read things carefully before you sign up for things. Don't be quick to blame MS for it.