title: Requirements for Kinect programming
body: <p>I wish to program with the Kinect ToF camera, however I am not certain of the hardware and software requirements to do so. I have come across a number of articles/books that cover this topic, but there seems to be some inconsistencies that have left me somewhat confused.</p>
  
  <p><strong>Questions</strong></p>
  
  <ol>
  <li><p>What Kinect product do I need to buy to ensure that I have all the necessary components for using it for software development on a computer? (i.e. all cables included "in-the-box")</p></li>
  <li><p>What are the hardware requirements of the development system (cpu, ram, etc)?</p></li>
  <li><p>What are the drivers, development frameworks, and other software components for Kinect development? From these, what are needed, what are strongly recommended, and what are optional?</p></li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>Please note that I do not want to be locked into developing within a Windows environment, although I would like the option to do so. I also have no intention of developing commercial applications at this time.</p>