Woodstock Xbox-branded media service. My question was, should they have? Was the move to early? Sure, they would never have managed to overtake Apple and its iPod, but coming in as a close second would still have made it a profitable venture. Now with Metro coming around, is the time to make a new multimedia player, in the vein of the iPod Touch, a good idea? I certainly think so, though this is simple speculation, there is no solid information that Microsoft is, or will ever, do this. With the announcement of a Nook partnership, a 4 or even 5-inch tablet/multimedia device that ran on Windows RT could be exactly what Microsoft needs. A small device like this would be small enough to compete with devices like the iPod Touch, and would make it a great e-reader, too. If Microsoft did something in-house like this, it would likely be firmly connected to the Xbox brand, I’d wager. The Zune branding is basically dead, but months ago I talked about how cool an Xbox tablet would be. Fast-forwarding to today, a lot has changed with the announcement of Woodstock and the partnership with B&N’s Nook. Making an Xbox tablet that is touted more of a multimedia super-device, that can also play games, now makes more sense then ever. This device would be the “Swiss Army Knive” of micro-tablets. A 4 or 5-inch factor would make it fit in purses in handbags, go great hooked up the car’s stereo, and would make it very easy to use for reading. Top that will a sprinkling of Xbox Live Arcade offering and maybe a gimmick or two that lets it work as a controller for select Xbox games, and you have a winner. The combination of Xbox Services, like the many TV channels, and their multimedia/e-reader options would make an animal that could finally stand up to the army of iDevices, and even if it couldn’t necessary “beat” them, it could at least offer a solid alternative. Okay, that’s it for my rambling of speculation for the day. Now I want to hear from our readers out there. Would a Windows 8 RT tablet with reasonable specs, Microsoft-made Xbox branding, and a blend of Xbox features (maybe even KINECT?) make you want one of these things? Additionally, how much would you be willing to pay for an Xbox/Windows-branded multimedia micro-tablet? Would the 4-inch and 5-inch form factor make sense for such a device, or would you rather see larger screen options like 7 and 10-inch? As for me? If a 5-inch Xbox Tablet could manage a $200-$350 price range? I’d certainly find it way better than the Kindle Fire, at the very least. Share your thoughts below.]]>
