With the release of Kinect for Windows v2 back in October, Microsoft has announced that it will cease production of the original PC version.
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The first Kinect for Windows will be phased out through 2015, the development team explained in a blog post. The new version of the sensor, in line with the upgraded edition used for Xbox One, features "enhanced body tracking, greater depth fidelity, full 1080p high-definition video, new active infrared capabilities, and an expanded field of view".
SDK 2.0 allows users to create and publish Kinect-capable apps on the Windows Store, and an adapter is available that allows use of the Xbox One's Kinect for development. The team says community response to the device is positive, and they are seeing impressive apps created every day.
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The post also looks back on what the original sensor helped achieve:
"The original Kinect for Windows sensor was a milestone achievement in the world of natural human computing. It allowed developers to create solutions that broke through the old barriers of mouse and keyboard interactions, opening up entirely new commercial experiences in multiple industries, including retail, education, healthcare, education, and manufacturing.
"The original Kinect let preschoolers play educational games by simply moving their arms; it coached patients through physical rehabilitation; it gave shoppers new ways to engage with merchandise and even try on clothes. The list of innovative solutions powered by the original Kinect for Windows goes on and on."
While its reception on console was lukewarm at best (Microsoft eventually removed the device as a mandatory pack-in with every Xbox One, dropping the console's base price from $500 to $400), the Kinect seems to benefit from the more robust and development-centric PC community. Before the supply fully dies, the team is suggesting anyone who still needs a significant order of original Kinect units for current commitments contact them as soon as possible.
