Handheld to rival PSP and iPod
Microsoft are planning to release a portable media device to rival Apple's iPod and Sony's PSP. Business Week states that 'Microsoft has put together a team that's considering the business end of such an initiative.'
On the subject, Peter Moore said, "Any Microsoft media device would have to leverage the company's most significant consumer strength, video gaming." Sounds like a plan!
At GDC in March 2005 J.Allard told TG Daily that, "I'll never say never on the handheld thing, but it's not our focus right now. The handheld market for us is going to be more of a downstream thing. I want to be able to take the kinds of things that will be pioneered by the era, and take them with me. Right now with handheld games you can take 3D era games with you. I'm focused on the HD era. So let's get the HD era started and bring it everywhere we can. That's our philosophy."
The HD era has just begun so now could be exactly the right time for Microsoft to discuss such options.
Microsoft were said to be working on a handheld named 'Xboy' way back in 2004, but apparently plans were ditched.
Source: Business Week
