For the past few weeks, Microsoft and Intel have been stringing us along with the miniscule tidbits of information received from OrigamiProject.com over the past few weeks, yet it seems that the rumoured and anticipated “XBoy” is not actually going to exist. The Origami has flittered in and out of the media’s eye for the past year, since a teaser video was leaked showing a gamer playing Halo on a portable tablet PC. Since then, it has been confirmed that Microsoft’s nifty device will not have ANY gaming functionality whatsoever, and would be more akin to a standard tablet PC.

Some news has surfaced about potential features, including the GPS, media player and fully functional internet browser. Through the use of WLAN (802.11), WPAN (Bluetooth) and WWAN (cellular networks), the Origami is expected to be fully connected to the Internet wherever you go, with transfer speeds being optimum in large cities and dying out in rural areas.

Although the system looks moderately interesting, I have yet to see what makes it drastically different from other tablet computers. From the specifications I’ve read, it does not even seem plausible to harness its power for basic gaming of older titles, although that does not guarantee Microsoft will not try to port some older classic PC titles to the Origami. Another possibility is a heavy library of 2-dimensional RTS games (Starcraft or Warcraft ports), as a solid FPS would probably kill the machine.

All in all, it seems to be an interesting venture for Microsoft, and it certainly allows them to cash in on a portable venture without directly competing with Sony or Nintendo. However, with a price tag of $1000 +, I cannot envision myself getting one (although I have always wanted to get a small tablet PC for drawing).