The Origami Project from Microsoft has hit web headlines in a massive way recently. Digg, for example, went into a hyper-sooper-hype mode with stories appearing on the homepage every few hours. People had so many questions. As did I.

• What is Origami?
• What will it look like?
• How much will it cost?
• Will it play Xbox Games?
• Will it finally be the iPod killer Microsoft have been touting?

Some cool looking mock ups were leaked, my favorite being this one:

“WOW!” I thought. A mini-tablet PC. Not much bigger than a PSP but running a fully blown version of Windows XP. Who wouldnt want that?

So I/we/the world waited and yesterday Microsoft announced the Origami in all its glory!!

“WOW!” I thought, what an e’fin waste of space. Who would want that?

Come on Microsoft, what the fnuk is that supposed to be? Its just a smaller tablet PC. In fact, I’ve seen tablet PCs that small AND they have keyboards attached!

Not only is it too large to be classed as truly “portable” its horrendously ugly and the GUI seems truly hideous. One of the best quotes I read describing the device was:

“Too bulky to carry around easily, yet too small to be useful.”

I totally agree. Windows XP is a desktop OS and sticking a useless UI over the top doesn’t change this. Why they didn’t bulk-up a version of Windows Mobile 5 for this device I will never know. I have this OS on my mobile phone and it works flawlessly.

You can tell she hates it.

I had so much hope for this project. The Xbox 360 is an amazing bit of kit. Why-oh-why can’t Microsoft follow the Xbox teams lead and come up with something people would actually want to use and that would help inject a small amount of cool-a-ability into the Microsoft aura.

I’m no fan of Apple but I just know they will further embarrass Microsoft with a far-far-far sexier and more usable device in the near future.