When it first came out the system was very underwhelming, the UI was slow and there were just no games out there for the console. However now that the Xbox is getting monthly updates and there are some decent games id say its well worth the price tag. Microsoft are listening to the user base and implementing ideas that are given back.
The UI is faster, more responsive, easier to navigate and Kinect voice support is coming to NZ this month. Plus lets not forget that Halo is coming out in November.