Qual:
I don't mean any disrespect, as you're largely carrying this forum all by yourself, but you're mistaken about the CD-R issue.
Any XBOX that has a Samsung DVD drive in it (most made after October, 2002) will read 90% of CD-Rs just fine. Phillips (fairly rare) has around a 50% success rate.
Thompson (the most common of DVD drives, made since day 1) won't read CD-Rs.
You can tell which kind you have by ejecting the tray and looking at the disc area (the middle hole, where the mechanism sticks through the center DVD hole). If it's "keyhole" shaped, it's the Phillips drive. If it's shaped like a U, it's a Thompson. If it's got 2 holes (1 on either side of the middle hole), it's a Samsung.
Clearly, the Samsung is the drive to get. Most of the Xbox bundle packs seem to be coming with Phillips drives, which aren't bad.
Try and avoid the Thompsons.
