[Erik Latranyi]

We understand that Apple and Microsoft have two different business styles.

This is not meant as an anti-Apple nor anti-Microsoft thread and it should not devolve into either.

[library user]

Isn’t Apple for gays? /s

[Erik Latranyi]

Original Cult-of-Mac story:

http://www.cultofmac.com/how-apple-almost-got-microsofts-kinect-game-controller/67951#more-67951

[Texas Fossil]

I am not a gamer and this question I am asking after reading the article is: What is Kinect technology?

Human interphase?

I am also not pro Apple or pro Microsoft. (I prefer Linux, but have used them all)

[Leo Farnsworth]

“...Beracha figured the technology was so good that he would be able to sell it to anyone. In the end, it came down to “Apple is a pain in the ass,” Beracha reportedly said with a smile on his face.”

Ha!

Someone who GETS it!

[Keith in Iowa]

>>>>This is not meant as an anti-Apple nor anti-Microsoft thread and it should not devolve into either.

Just saying this is going to make it happen.

[Swordmaker]

Apple's acquisition secrecy may have gotten in the way of the acquisition of Kinect—PING!

Thanks to Eric Latranyi for posting

Please! No Flame Wars!
Discuss Issues, Software, and Hardware.
Don't attack people!
Please Ignore the anti-Apple thread trolls!

Apple Business Practices Ping!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[dayglored]

> This is not meant as an anti-Apple nor anti-Microsoft thread and it should not devolve into either.

Heh, best of luck with that.

I don't think it was just secrecy and NDAs that turned off the negotiations with Apple. I think they just weren't interested enough to pay a lot for it. Here's my take on it:

1. Not Apple's business. Apple doesn't sell a gaming console; the Mac is not the gaming platform that Windows is; and I can't imagine Apple coming out with a gaming-oriented console any time soon. Doesn't fit their business model either.

2. Apple sells systems that they design from top to bottom. Any purchased technology has to be integrated tightly into their system, not just bolted on. This would have been a "solution in search of a problem" on an Apple product.

3. Cool as it seems, a full-body controller is a gimmick, not a general-purpose tool technology. Apple has a strong bias toward elegance and simplicity, even subtlety, which this is not.

4. Computer nerds dancing, shouting, and waving their arms in front of their computer cameras has been done. It's an internet JOKE. It has a dodgy reputation, as Microsoft will find out when the bizarre, kinky Kinect videos start hitting YouTube. How long until users start doing... weird things... in front of their Kinect and recording the results. Apple is a bit prudish -- they may not have wanted to associate their product line with that.

Just sayin'... :)

[ReignOfError]

I really don’t see where Kinect would fit in the Apple product line — maybe on Apple TV after it morphs into a game platform, but that’s going to take years, if it happens at all. XBox, on the other hand, was ready for this kind of technology, and already competing directly with the Wii.

Apple: “Why should we want this?” Microsoft: “How much do you want for this? Result: Apple is “a pain in the ass.”

[ReignOfError]

I really don’t see where Kinect would fit in the Apple product line — maybe on Apple TV after it morphs into a game platform, but that’s going to take years, if it happens at all. XBox, on the other hand, was ready for this kind of technology, and already competing directly with the Wii.

Apple: “Why should we want this?” Microsoft: “How much do you want for this? Result: Apple is “a pain in the ass.”

[Eye of Unk]

I was pretty interested in buying the standalone Kinect console as I already have the Xbox 360. But locally all they are selling is the bundle packs.

What I want is the very realistic one on one moves like they have for boxing, and I spent the last 12 hours on several Xbox forums, many people are totally awestruck with it. Some games are in their infancy, some have lag and the requirements for room may limit some people.

Sure its brand new and Microsoft has a long history of selling products that have some “bugs” still in them.

This is future gaming, its not perfect but is light years already better than the Wii, it could be a total Wii-killer if MS gets more games or hybrid games, I can already imagine a lightsaber battle or better yet FPS games like Halo.

But I am sitting this out for a little while, maybe another month, thats how long it took the last time when the 360 started getting major bugs. But overall I am thinking this is a great investment for family games.

[antiRepublicrat]

From all accounts I’ve heard, Apple is a pain in the ass. Normally this results in pretty good products, but apparently it backfires sometimes.