Microsoft's Courier: Potential Apple iPad Killer

Friday announcements always tend to get smothered by the weekend. On March 5th 2010 Engadget reported some interesting new details and exclusive pictures about Microsoft’s dual-screen tablet, dubbed Courier. It’s got a lot of work-horse potential and productivity power. Here’s the scoop…

According to Engadget, the Courier will feature two screens and function like a digital journal. They have an “Extremely trusted source” and they’ve been told that it’s a little over a pound, about an inch thick and slightly larger than a 5×7 photo (closed). Already, it’s lighter and smaller than the iPad.

The Courier, like the iPad, is rumored to be running not a desktop version of an OS, but a mobile one, similar to the one on the Zune HD or Windows Mobile 7 series. Unlke the iPad however, there’s a huge emphasis on stylus related input. Engadget has the exclusive concept video on how it works. It’s nearly too complex to explain it here, but I’ll give an example. Your journal sits on your right screen, a web browser on the left. See something you like? Simply use the stylus to circle or highlight — then ‘cut’ and ‘flick’ it over to your journal screen. Data saved, picture or text.

You can also write-in web addresses or anything else, and with the Courier’s handwriting recognition technology, have it get converted to text, or do ‘smart’ things with text written. An example shown was a “to-do” list being written with a square drawn around it. The square then ‘popped’ out and became yellow like a PostIt note, and could be moved around from journal page or wherever. This is just scratching the surface. There’s also very innovative ways to collaborate your ‘journals’ and keep information handy, and get actual ‘work’ done. Like Windows Mobile 7 series, I’m impressed with the GUI and clear thought and care Microsoft put into how a person would interact with the device; faced paced and productivity driven. Engadget has more speculation that we’ll see Courier Q3/Q4 of 2010, along with a headphone jack, e-book capabilities, and a camera.

Engadget admits, nothing is official, but one look at the concept video and it’s clear that Courier isn’t far from production. As much as I’d love to be online to get an iPad, this blogger will have to seriously re-think where his loyalties lie of just an ounce of any of this is true. It’s certainly something new, and Microsoft seems to have taken on Apple’s old motto; “Think Different”