TechWag

: Image via CrunchBase

One of the biggest limitations in ebook readers is the fact that so far, the ones that are popular are not in color. Since I use a lot of applications that need color, from Web Palettes to Comic Books, I really need color. ZDNet breaks news this morning that Microsoft is issuing a “Zune Book”, the color mobile windows 7 based device for 500 dollars that will be available next year.

And then Admits that they made it all up, crud…

What do you mean you haven’t heard of the ZuneBook? You think I just made this thing up? Well, yeah, actually, I did. Sorry.

I may have pulled the ZuneBook out of my rear end, but the truth of the matter is that such a device would likely be a tremendous hit in the marketplace, if current Kindle figures are any indication. Apple is no doubt going to release it’s own MID/Touchscreen tablet in the next year, but Microsoft has no such plans for something as ambitious as the ZuneBook. It seems the company is only interested in smartphones with their current designs for Windows Mobile 7, when really they could be producing the ultimate digital convergence device, with a huge built-in developer ecosystem that could crank out killer applications for this thing like nobody’s business. Source: ZDNet

The point that they are making is that as we develop better color flexible displays, and systems get cheaper, powerful, and more transportable, the missing component is that there is no color. A windows “zunebook” or anything else like it would immediately have a developer base that would ignite a lot of innovation. Add to that the ability to do applications via the Zune store, and Microsoft would really stand a chance of making something wonderful for what is coming next. Small, transportable, book sized computing.

The signs are all there, from the popularity of netbooks, to the desire for an apple tablet, the ever decreasing footprint of computing power, we are looking at something that would be beneficial, not just to the computing industry, but to the environment as well. Sell it as a green technology item, and Microsoft could really make this one go, all the while drawing on the innovation and ideas of a legion of Microsoft developers, independent developers, and tapping the entire Microsoft development ecosystem.

There are some good ideas here, and while Microsoft would be looked at as following Amazon’s leader position, this might not be a bad direction for Microsoft to go in. I know I would buy one.

Tags :Microsoft, zunebook, made up, device, apple, tablet, amazon, want