"Forget Apple's Tablet!" That's what gearheads are shouting from the rooftops after Gizmodo's leak of a new Microsoft product--"The Courier"--appeared last night during the opening of the Gizmodo Gallery.
Check out the video of Courier in action--Gizmodo's apparently obtained the information from directly within Microsoft's secret development team. (The video file shown last night was titled "projectwood" but don't be fooled into thinking that's a Microsoft code name.) It's a dual 7-inch screen unit with Wi-fi, GPS and camera built-in.
It's amazing, isn't it? The kind of amazingly futuristic UI that we've seen a thousand times in sci-fi movies, infused with Surface-like powers, promising a crossover between a Star Trek digital pad, and The HitchHiker's Guide to The Galaxy as depicted in the movie, and the voice of that spooky lady in the Palm Pre ads. It's also, according to Gizmodo, absolutely real, in development and currently at a "late prototype" stage. You will, allegedly, be able to buy this thing soon.
But then check out this video, of a real prototype tablet PC developed by NorhTec--its actually depicting development hardware for the Xcore Info Pad. The technology gap is enormous.
The idea is to take the company's EduBook notebook PC and squeeze it into a tablet form with an 8-inch screen with resistive touch sensitivity, running Linux and with either Li-ion or AA-batteries for power.
Comparing the two of these devices tells us several things. Even though NorhTec's machine is using cheap hardware and a pre-existing OS, to keep its costs below $300, it's a pretty fair demonstration of the kind of tablet PC we'll actually be able to buy next year, using current technology. Microsoft's device is at the other end of the spectrum--dual full-color multitouch screens and a sleek, custom-designed (highly Apple-esque, and Surface-influenced) user interface. It'll surely cost a hefty sum when it surfaces.
But that's if it actually does surface. Do you believe MS, still hobbling along after its Windows Vista disgrace, can really pull off such an apparently revolutionary machine? Or is this just a glimpse of the distant future, along the lines of its Vision of 2019 promotional video? Why is the Gizmodo article authored by "The Paperboy"? Will Apple's iTablet, which everyone is expecting next year, have this sort of capability? Or are both of these two devices merely vaporware, and the closest we'll get is NohrTec's or the now-delayed CrunchPad?
There is one glimmer of proof that Courier is actually a real machine: Over at BeingManan, there's more leaked Microsoft information about a research product dubbed Codex. It's based on Microsoft's tablet-UI-rethink InkSeine technology, which has been at a stage between pure science and real product for some while, and it too is a dual-screen touch-sensitive journal-like device. This hardware really is in rough prototype stage as it looks a mess, its UI comes complete with Windows features (unlike Courier) and it has a detachable-screen mode that would certainly add to the complexity and price of a real device.
Considering that MS has been working on this for a while, it certainly lends credence to the Courier rumors.
[via Gizmodo]
Related Stories: | Topics:Innovation, Technology, Design, Microsoft Tablet, microsoft, Courier, NohrTec, Xcore, Info Pad, tablet pc, Gizmodo, surface, apple, Gizmodo.com, Microsoft Corporation, Apple Inc., Computer Technology, Software Engineering |
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Recent Comments | 7 Total
September 23, 2009 at 11:35am by Dave Symons
Reminds me of the ATT "You Will" ads from the 90's. I'd like to see it delivered sooner than later.
September 23, 2009 at 12:50pm by Mark Sigal
While this is a really cool looking prototype, the real question is when will the actual product ship and what's the OS and tools side of the equation, as Apple has pretty much shown this to be the bar for success.
Clearly, Apple learned this lesson from Microsoft (in PC 1.0) but MS feels long removed from those days (i.e., cultivating and growing a software centered ecosystem), especially in light of all of the legacy that they have to support.
Btw, here are some thoughts on where Apple's Tablet and the e-Book is headed:
Rebooting the Book (One Apple iPad Tablet at a Time):
http://bit.ly/zOoEu
Check it out if interested.
Mark
September 23, 2009 at 2:33pm by Michael Gautier
This is a fascinating idea and arguably more practical than the concepts I've seen from Apple. Here is the possibility for a compact, yet expansive form factor with a stylus. If it can accept an external keyboard and monitor connection it could be a real hit. Let's say an HDMI connection and a Microsoft keyboard with a miniature display that can accept stylus input transferring it to the screen.
For mobile use, its compact design affords both screen protection in-transit, and flexible interaction whether at a coffee shop, waiting in-line at the mall, or perusing data while in a recliner. The combination of stylus and hand gesture works well as it gives options between precise input and quick, intention based navigation.
I was looking forward to the Apple tablet, but this would certainly alter that idea. I was concerned about how mobile an Apple tablet would be, but never considered a book form factor. Microsoft's approach seems to settle that adequately. Powered by a form of Windows 7 mobile and with developer access to an enhanced version of WPF, Silverlight, or other alternative, I think the tools and OS will provide a familiar entry point into creating applications for this platform.