So there were a few rumors about the new Xbox 360 user interface but having a vista like slide show was not one I thought would happen.  It will be interesting to see how this new UI works and if it can prove to be a better system than the current blades.  They also finally showed off their avatars that will be replacing the gamer pics we currently have.  Now when you got to your friends list instead of seeing a list of names you'll be seeing their avatars instead.  You can now create an 9 person party group that can go play games together.  Having group chat is a really nice feature to add.  The fact you can watch a Netflix movie together is really cool too.

Don't like how loud the DVD drive is on the 360?  Well now you can install the game onto your hard drive.   You'll still need to have the game in the drive but it will load faster and run quieter.  Now you can access and purchase Xbox Marketplace items from the web.  You will be able to purchase the items and download them straight to your console.

Will these features make the Xbox 360 your console of choice for playing with your friends?  I don;t know it they will significantly improve your experience but they will help.  I don't know how often have  I wished we just had group chat but now we will.  Watching a netflix movie together over live sounds really cool but I'm not sure how often I'll use it.  These are some big changes that may make gaming on the 360 better but it's too early to tell.

Source:
joystiq.com - xbox-360-gets-avatar-system-new-dashboard
joystiq.com - install-your-xbox-360-games-to-the-hard-drive-access-xblm