Microsoft Courier Tablet Device

Unfortunately, as of right now, this device could still be a myth, but there are some references that say Microsoft admitted to this device and in fact it will be out later in 2010.  I’m not going to hold my breath, only because the device seems too good to be true.  If you haven’t seen the articles that describe this device in some detail, even with videos, then I recommend you take a look!!  It seems to be the only device so far that would be able to truly give Apple’s iPad a run for it’s money.

Engadget ran a recent article on March 5th, 2010, that shows two videos of this device.  It also shows a series of pictures of the user interface.

Some key points in the post are:

“We're told Courier will function as a "digital journal," and it's designed to be seriously portable: it's under an inch thick, weighs a little over a pound, and isn't much bigger than a 5x7 photo when closed. That's a lot smaller than we expected -- this new picture really puts it into perspective -- and the internals apparently reflect that emphasis on mobility: rather than Windows 7, we're told the Courier is built on Tegra 2 and runs on the same OS as the Zune HD, Pink, and Windows Mobile 7 Series, which we're taking to mean Windows CE 6.”

I think the use of a specialized OS is a good thing, and don’t take that as me contradicting my post about one of the cons of the iPad.  What I said about the iPad/iPhone OS is that it is far too restrictive for a device like the iPad (or any tablet).  I also said in that post that I understand the need for a specialized OS, and I welcome it.  While I like the flexibility that a tablet with full Windows 7 might bring, it has its detriments as well, and the list is long.  I would still like to be able to download a file and have an easy way to transfer it to another device.

The other major piece of this post is:

“As we've heard, the interface appears to be pen-based and centered around drawing and writing, with built-in handwriting recognition and a corresponding web site that allows access to everything entered into the device in a blog-like format complete with comments. We're also hearing that there will be a built-in camera, and there's a headphone jack for media playback. Most interestingly, it looks like the Courier will also serve as Microsoft's e-book device, with a dedicated ecosystem centered around reading. It all sounds spectacular, but all we have for a launch date is "Q3 / Q4", and we have no idea how much it's going to cost, so we're trying to maintain a healthy skepticism until any of this gets official”

Here is a video from their site that I remembering watching last year (2009).  It runs through a day in the life of an interior designer with the Courier as her electronic journal.  It was got my juices flowing about this device in the first place.

Here is the latest video from their site that shows additional functionality that looks pretty incredible.

Gizmodo ran an article in September, 2009 that shows some photographs of the device from many angles.  At this point, it’s hard to know what the finished device will truly look like and what features it will really contain, but it is exciting to think about the possibilities.

This post from November 5, 2009 by PCWorld.com lists out lots of details on how the device is supposedly going to function and it’s features.  This is an older post, so it’s difficult to say what is realistic, but it outlines a VERY compelling UI and workflow/feature-set. 

Wikipedia also has a page dedicated to the Courier.

Finally, Engadget found some evidence to support the reality of the Courier by an MS employee who actually linked to the Engadget post about the Courier.  Hopefully this means it is real, and hopefully it is a *little more* than just an electronic journal.  As cool as that is in and of itself, I want it to do a little bit more.

We shall see what the future holds.