Kinect For Windows Is Dead; Long Live Kinect For Windows Via USB 45
puddingebola writes Microsoft has announced it will no longer manufacture Kinect for Windows. Only the Xbox One version will be available for purchase. Microsoft said it could not meet demand for the device, a strange claim for a company to make. The console version, though, will still work with Windows by way of a USB adapter, and as pointed out by this similar story at Gamespot, for about the same total price.
Re:Bill Gates doing a funny vidz ! (Score:5, Informative)
Failure? What failure?
Maybe for gaming and some smart TV shenanigans I don't even know, but for the research/development world it's been the greatest thing ever. All that's changed is that MS went, "Why are we producing two versions of the same thing?" And then said, "Oh, in that case we'll just produce one version, then make an adapter."
In other words, MS made an excellent business move that saves the money and doesn't cost anyone anything.
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You mean the factory workers over in some country that doesn't have adequate minimum wage laws and worker protection?
I weep for the poor factory owners who can no longer make gobs of money off of MS's patronage on the backs of their fellow humans.
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I don't see this as people loosing their jobs. It is the same device but with a different part for the hookup.
They will probably do the same thing but with Xbox.
This (Score:3)
In other words, MS made an excellent business move that saves the money and doesn't cost anyone anything.
Exactly. MS went "We're ALREADY producing an adapter AND we spent time and development dollars to make it so that anyone who already has a Kinect for their Xbox won't have to buy a new one to play or work on the dev side. Let's save the time and money of producing a second physical product that could be better spent on new products (like Hololens) or given back to shareholders."
What's the difference from a development engineering POV? A label on the front?
Spinning it as somehow a loss for MS is just igno
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Re: Bill Gates doing a funny vidz ! (Score:2)
This is Slashdot. Non-stories belong on the front page around here!
You don't need the (expensive) adapter (Score:3, Interesting)
I imagine the Kinect One has a similar setup.
The point is, it doesn't matter if Microsoft cares about supporting robotics students anymore, or anyone really. The hardware is easily adaptable, and plenty of smart coders have already made Linux drivers.
As long as those idiots keep manufacturing the hardware, we can keep using it. Regardless of their open-promise bullcrap.
Re: You don't need the (expensive) adapter (Score:5, Insightful)
Given his philanthropic generosity for helping out genuinely poor countries, I doubt he views anyone making a developer's salary as poor.
Obvious bullshit statement (Score:5, Interesting)
The statement is obviously bullshit, but the question then is, "What is the real reason?"
Possibilities include:
1. Everyone is buying Windows Kinect because it's fun to hack around with, but very little of that is translating into stuff they can make money from. Kinda like the way Sony removed Linux support from the PS3 because people were buying PS3s, putting Linux on them, and then not buying games.
2. Some Microsoft exec saw how Apple is outshining everyone else, and people are continuing to buy Apple stuff despite them restricting all their products, and thought that Microsoft needs to get in on that action.
3. The different products are actually virtually equivalent except for the adapter, so it doesn't make sense to have two different lines. But if that was true, why wouldn't they just come out and say that? (Note, this isn't mutually exclusive from #2)
4. Some other reason I can't think of?
Re:Obvious bullshit statement (Score:4, Interesting)
It is number 3. They've had the adapter for a long time. They're just not packaging the same thing (with a different logo on the front) in two slightly different ways now.
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Near Mode (Score:2)
That was true with first generation hardware; I'm not sure of the extent to which it's true for the current generation.
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Kinect 2 has wider-angle lenses than Kinect 1, so there's not as much of a need for different optics.
Since there never was any announcement that Kinect 2 for Windows was somehow optimized, the logical default is that they are the same.
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Then again, it is Sunday and for many people a Holiday, so things may normalize a bit later.
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Worse than 1: Some of the companies that hold patents for Kinect also make professional motion capture camera rigs for special effects and research use. They have always been concerned that the Kinect consumer tech might be 'good enough' for some professionals - if you can buy a kinect and spend a few extra hours messing around, why buy a $12,000 motion capture studio system? There's probably a clause somewhere in the license that says Microsoft may not make a Kinect that can be easily adapted for low-end p
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3. The different products are actually virtually equivalent except for the adapter, so it doesn't make sense to have two different lines. But if that was true, why wouldn't they just come out and say that?
They already do worse. Quick -- what's the difference between this XBox360 controller [amazon.com], compared to this XBox360 controller [amazon.com] here?
Give up? NOTHING. They don't even need an adapter. I bought the 360 one for my PC and it's plug-n-play. They are literally the same product (actually I've heard some murmurings the components in the "Windows" one are inferior to the console one). The 360 one is normally cheaper, too (though not at this exact time I notice) because as a "console controller" it gets put on sale more
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Amazon linking error there. I meant to link to the wired 360 controller [amazon.com] for the first one.
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Argh. Which wont link right. -____-'
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No doubt. The poor personal hygiene alone could cripple them.
Asus Xtion is selling better perhaps? (Score:1)
Just a thought but maybe they are losing to the Asus Xtion [asus.com]. That is a possible explanation.
Can't meet demand for the item? (Score:3)
Why? Can't slow the production enough to keep from having to rent more storage room for unsold units?
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Why have two SKU for the same item?
Perhaps the PC version came with whatever cable and an 8cm CD with drivers/stuff etc. but now most everyone that wanted a Kinect for a PC or embedded system already got it and those who didn't can have an adapter and download the software.
Mice ended the practice of coming with a 3.5" diskette and then you could only get one without a driver diskette, no option to get a separate SKU with the floppy in the cardboard. Yawn. That's all this story is about.
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Why? Can't slow the production enough to keep from having to rent more storage room for unsold units?
No, All the storage is taken up by unsold Surface tablets and Nokia phones.
From the start (Score:2)
Why did they just not make it a USB device from the getgo instead of a proprietary adapter for the Xbox One? Oh yeah... money.
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Power requirements.
Blame Apple (Score:1)
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Apple bought Primesense, which makes the sensor in the original Kinect. I bet they can't meet demand because they cant get the chips anymore. The Kinect 2 is a totally different tech. Maybe they'll sell a Windows version of that?
That makes so much sense, not having enough of a of a product to continue distribution is better PR, than they won't let up have them anymore :)
Dixlesia playing up again (Score:1)
At Microsoft, great tech != great money (Score:2)
Microsoft has a unique talent for taking obvious, useful or innovative technology and then either making it unusable (Winoows 8), or unsalable (Any Windows phone incarnation). In this case, the latter turned out to be cheaper.