In a blog post last week, Microsoft announced plans to end sales of the original Kinect for Windows after the current stock is sold.

Focusing on Kinect for Windows v2 and its updated software development kit, SDK 2.0, Microsoft discontinued production of the original Kinect, and hopes users of the original Kinect will transition to the new model.

“The new sensor provides a host of new and improved features, including enhanced body tracking, greater depth fidelity, full 1080p high-definition video, new active infrared capabilities, and an expanded field of view.”

In addition, SDK 2.0 enables developers to publish their apps directly to the Windows Store.

My Opinion:

While I like that Microsoft is pushing better technology and understand the economic benefits of exclusively manufacturing their newer model, I don’t think ending manufacturing of the older model is a good idea. Instead, they should more gradually phase out the sensor, or provide backwards compatibility in the updated model.

Darwin Leuba is an Associate Writer at MONG. You can follow him on Twitter @darwinleuba as he revels in other awesome and semi-comedic exploits.