Where’s Xbox’s handheld device?

For video gamers there are three names: Nintendo, Playstation and Xbox. Often gamers will sport fierce loyalty to a specific console. In addition to spending $200+ on a system many people also find themselves spending the money for a handheld device: a mobile version for people to play games on. The only problem is that Xbox devotees have no official handheld device.

Microsoft, the company that makes Xbox, does have Zune HD, but that doesn’t compare to a handheld gaming device like the Nintendo DSi or the Playstation Portable. Recently the company sunk money into Project Natal, a full body motion sensing technology for Xbox and that’s why Microsoft hasn’t focused on a small portable gaming device.

This is a market that Microsoft needs to get in on. People are willing to spend the money. Project Natal is good, but unless it’s perfect no one is going to want to wrestle with it. The company should come out with a handheld device and then give people the chance to buy games online and directly download them onto memory cards. This can cut the cost of production and when the price of games drop more customers will be willing to buy them.

So the fact that the company is talking about it is good. The fact that it hasn’t already been created is not good. Nintendo has been making handheld devices since 1989 with the Game Boy.

Xbox should have jumped on that wagon back in 2005 when Playstation, its big rival, came out with the PSP, especially since the Xbox has been out for almost a decade now and they haven’t created a small device.

Kindle, Nook useful for how long?

E-readers are sort of amazing. Hundreds of books are at a user’s fingertips making long trips or vacations. However, much like other devices I don’t think e-readers are long for this world.

Kindle, Amazon’s widely popular e-reader, and Nook, Barnes and Noble’s new and highly sought after one, both cost $259. That’s a lot of cash to drop for a digital book. The e-reader is enjoying popularity now because of its size and weight. They are incredibly thin and about twice the size of your hand. Sure you could download books onto your laptop or your smartphone but this is just like the story of Goldilocks. A laptop or netbook can be too big and a smartphone too small. The e-reader is just about perfect.

This is a device that can easily slip into your briefcase or purse. However, this is also a device that lacks the ability to do multiple things. You buy one of these and all you can do is read books. You buy a tablet and you’ll also be able to surf the Web, watch movies and send e-mails. I’ve mentioned tablets before. Slate tablets are essentially an e-reader crossed with a netbook and since some e-readers (like the Kindle DX) can cost you up to $489, perhaps that money would be better spent getting you access to more than just books.