@Parrish: Please clarify this:
Data will likely be sent via a charge-coupled device to avoid the bottleneck caused by using a USB controller interface and multiple USB-based devices.
AFAIK, a CCD is the device used inside a digital photo or camera to convert an image into a bitstream. I've never heard of it being used for information transmission between devices, and the implication of it being used for that purpose is that you would need line-of-sight between the Kinect 2 and the XBOX 720 / Windows 8 PC. So please explain what you meant by that, or how that communication is expected to work.
@NuclearShadow
I can remember when the mouse first started to appear on PCs. While on the Mac it was a necessary tool, for most PC software it was a semi-useful afterthought, at best. Why use a mouse when shortcut keys, function keys and alt-activated menus could do everything you needed to do anyway? Why even take the time to move your hands away from the keyboard? Today, a significant portion of software is unusable without a mouse or other suitable device.
The Kinect - or more accurately, a computer-user interface that monitors finger, hand and body movements - represents a paradigm shift for human interface devices. Implemented with sufficient hardware, and with the right software, it can replace a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, a steering wheel, a living room remote control, a "wii-mote" and a touch pad,
all at the same time. I
like the idea of not having any more AA- and AAA-consuming handheld IR remotes floating around the living room, and performing those tasks with a Kinect-like device instead. I
like the idea of being able to interact with my HTPC by typing on a 3D-projected keyboard that isn't actually there, allowing me to surf, search, edit, and communicate without needing a physical keyboard or cumbersome on-screen point-and-click keyboards. I like the idea of not needing a physical mouse, touch pad, touch screen or other pointing device, while still being able to accurately point, click, drag, swish, and swipe (Crapple bogus patents notwithstanding).
There will still be uses for existing HIDs. If you type for a living, a touch pad-based keyboard device such is an iPad is a miserable user interface on which to work. If you are playing a RTS or FPS game, a keyboard and touchpad might be usable, but perhaps are not efficient enough to compete. There will always be a purpose for specialized hardware including the above-mentioned HIDs and numerous others. But the fact that a non-physical device can be used to replace them with fair performance, and also support a host of new user interface is extremely exciting.
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