http://games.kikizo.com/news/200603/098.asp

This is probably old news, but am I the only one who thinks this is ugly as sin?
I can see several things wrong with it from here, but this is meant to be a discussion not a statement.

combines video games, music and video in one handheld device.

Doesn' t something else do that?

Yeah, but mabe a new product from a better company can do that even better?

I' m intrigued: better in what way? Its hardly difficult or unrewarding doing these things on PSP. And you didnt answer my question: is that, or is it not, hideous?

Why is it hideous? We know nothing about it yet.
If Microsoft makes a powerful handheld with some of their Windows applications like Messenger, Word, Media Player and such, then I' m buying it.
I' ve always wanted a pocket PC with great gaming capabilities so I' ll be very glad if Microsoft manages to create something like that.
Also, a powerful handheld with a good d-pad, good speakers and responsive L/R triggers wouldn' t hurt.

i really liked the design of the mockbox portable i saw.

I still like the name I came up with:
Microsoft XP (Xbox Portable)
Not to be confused with Windows XP

It is hideous because, well, LOOK AT IT!
You do have a point about us not knowing anything about it, though.
If it is released, and I hope it is so that there is something the PSP can be properly measured against (I hate people who compare PSP and DS, they are totally different things used for totally different things) then I hope it doesnt look like that. True, it has many good features just from that picture, but it perhaps needs further thought to it, eg proper analog sticks are nice but the PSP has its nub thing so that it slips easily into your pocket.
Also, how would you work word on a handheld games console? If they could make it work (with a flipdown keyboard or something) then it would be good, but I doubt they could get Word etc on to a handheld AND get good gaming AND it not being the size of Cuba AND most importantly, at a reasonable price.
Sorry, that was a bit of a rant, but do you see where I' m coming from?

That picture is just a mockup by Kikizo. So I don' t care if it looks hideous. It doesn' t by the way but it wouldn' t be smart to make one with that design since it doesn' t look very comfortable to keep in your pocket
Keyboard, would it surprice you if they made a touch-screen? And a small keyboard attached to the console would be no problem. Aren' t you following the latest designs in the cell phone industry?
Microsoft have been making software for cellphones and portable PCs so I think a handheld console from them will kick ass. Sony' s ass that is because the DS walks over everything in terms of gameplay anyway.

Touchscreen: have you tried typing on the DS? Especially in a moving vehicle?

I can all but guarantee that Microsoft is going to make a portable gaming system. They HAVE to have see how the portable market has helped out Playstation and Nintendo during their ups and downs, and just like the Xbox they' ll want a piece of the action.

How could it not be better? They have the opportunity to look at both the DS and the PSP, they have a firm grasp of the online world (which I hear the PSP lagged on for a while, and the DS is just catching up to speed), and they have all the technology in the world at their fingertips.

If they did, I think the portable market would look a lot like what we' re seeing with the console wars now - PSP and XBox head to head, and Nintendo off doing their own thing. That' s just speculation, though.

ORIGINAL: Insanity Prawn Boy

Touchscreen: have you tried typing on the DS? Especially in a moving vehicle?

C' mon, are you saying that' s a reason for not having touch-screen based typing? Maybe it will affect typing if you' re racing in the mountains but if you sit in a car or a train in normal situations then it' s no problem. Just push the letters you want with the little stick and you' re typing! Easy, right?

Well honestly I couldn' t care less in M$ come into handhelds.

Nintendo are top dogs on handhelds... More powerful systems will not beat them...

Game gear, much better than game boy, didn' t last half as long. (in battery life too )
Neo geo pocket well this died off pretty quickly, though i liked my snk vs capcom game for it - awesome.
PSP, this totally doesn' t interest me, spend so much money for such samey experiences. Poor battery life,

Nintendo just kick ass.

An Xbox handheld will probably do more than just play games like having lots of things in common with Windows which is the reason I' d like a Microsoft handheld.

I saw a small child using his DS as a pillow on the plane coming back from Sicily. I was gutted. The screen was all scratched and had fingerprints all over it, there was no stylus (from what i could tell) and then he used it as a pillow while it was still turned on.

I know Nintendo' s handhelds are durable, but even small childre should know better than to abuse them!

An Xbox handheld will probably do more than just play games like having lots of things in common with Windows which is the reason I' d like a Microsoft handheld.

The annoying theing is that the more they put in, the bigger it would be. I mean, would you seriously carry something as big as a Gamegear around now?!



...because a Microsoft handheld would almost certainly be that big if they were to include a fully fledged version of Vista and not some crappy " Mobile" edition.

It' s have to be able to do everything PSP can do, then more.

Microsoft would have to include 2 analog sticks and a good D-pad for me to be interested.

Microsoft would simply have to release the thing and I' d be uber interested since I am such a WHORE for powerful handhelds! hehe

I don' t care nearly as much when it comes to console power.

BUT, you' d only use it to play homebrew and retro arcade games Terry!

Actually I' d save the emulation aspects for later like I' m doing with the PSP.. I' d focus on the actual games released for the unit. Gotta build up my collection of Microsoft UMDs

It' d probably use DVD9 and play Xbox games.

I' d much rather see Microsoft fund, provide a development environment and develop games for the DS successor. Just give Nintendo Microsoft' s money and let Rare and other Microsoft owned developers create games for Nintendo.

Microsoft wants the whole cake for themselves. I can' t imagine a real cooperation between Microsoft and Nintendo. If there will be such a thing then Microsoft will probably backstab Nintendo in the end.
I want a handheld from Microsoft. I love the cellphones with Windows Mobile and I love handheld videogames. A device that compines the two features would be awesome. With true graphical powers, better buttons that those of the PSP and media capabilities it would be a perfect thing to have with the DS.
And I think lots of PC developers would be interested in developing for a handheld Microsoft machine so software will probably look good too.
Connectivity with the 360 and PC' s also adds lots of possibilites. We could use it as a mirror in PG3 .
I don' t think it has to be too big but I won' t mind if it' s a little bit bigger than the PSP.

I don' t know how i' d feel about a ms handheld until it arrived I guess, giving the amount of time they have though i' m sure if they were planning on one they should have enough room to scope out the competition and create something of worth.