Microsoft's "iPod killer" a handheld Xbox?

Stan Beer
Tuesday, 11 July 2006 19:25

Your IT - Home IT

Let us not be under any illusions. Microsoft does not try to keep upcoming products under wraps. It never has and it's so-called iPod killer now turned Wi-Fi Xbox family of handheld devices is no exception.

All of a sudden we have a name - project Argo, the man in charge, vice president J Allard, and the fact that a family of handheld devices that will be released under the Xbox brand. Oh and they'll be Wi-Fi enabled media players and internet access devices - but we already knew that. Either the Seattle Times knows some very disloyal Microsoft deep throats or the information is being deliberately leaked. We prefer to believe the latter scenario.

Aside from the Xbox branding, the project name and who's in charge, however, what appears to have changed is that the new Microsoft device could emerge as a possible competitor to Sony PSP as well as iPod - or both in one device. Together with the Wi-Fi enablement, that could present a challenge for both companies.

There is little doubt that Apple probably has a Wi-Fi or mobile phone iPod up its sleeve. What it doesn't have, however, is a comparable games platform to PSP. Then again, neither does Xbox - yet. All this probably won't matter to music and media buffs who love their iPods. However, it's a new type of device that could possibly tempt the kid making his or her first or next portable device purchase.

The final question is will we hear something offical from Microsoft on July 27 at the financial analysts meeting, the week after its Q4 earnings results. The Seattle Times seems to think so and why should we argue?