There’s been plenty of excitement swirling around about the never-officially-announced Microsoft “Courier” – a folding tablet computer that combines touch screen and pen input, and has/had/was thought to have a brand new, custom operating system. It looked like one of the most interesting ideas to come out of Redmond for a while, but alas, it’s dead before arrival.

A Microsoft spokesperson tells Gizmodo:

At any given time, we’re looking at new ideas, investigating, testing, incubating them. It’s in our DNA to develop new form factors and natural user interfaces to foster productivity and creativity. The Courier project is an example of this type of effort. It will be evaluated for use in future offerings, but we have no plans to build such a device at this time.

Anthony Hecht is The Stranger's Chief Technology Officer. He owns no monkeys.

25 replies on “Microsoft Aborts Rumored iPad Killer”

  6. @4 – I don’t really see these kinds of big, practically full body movements being a typical way to control most computers. There’s too much energy involved. It’s great for gaming, which should be as immersive as possible. But I don’t want to wave my arms around to browse the web. Touchscreens make sense to me for this, I use my hands and small but simple gestures. Beyond that? Voice control, probably, but that doesn’t work so well with more than one person in the room. So then.. eye control, and then thought control. But whole arms control? Doesn’t seem that practical for everyday tasks.

  10. WIll, you miss the fucking point AS ALWAYS.

    I liked that the courier was in BOOK FORM. Just like Penny’s goddamn computer book.

    I’ve used an ipad, its ok. Not the experience I am looking for in a device. I also refuse to pay the apple tax. Plus, if I got one…I would be as much of a douche as you are.

  11. @6 Not yet, no, but when you consider how far everything in moving forward–we have projected digital keyboards now that you can use anywhere. I think long term that things like NATAL-type technology will get advanced enough that — combined with voice — we’ll have systems were a few voice commands and hand gestures not far removed from today’s mouse and keyboard will control complex computer systems beyond gaming. Have you seen Iron Man? Remember the 3D computer system he did the design work of the suit on? Assuming we last that long, with the rate of growth, we’ll see things heading for that by 2030.

  12. i see apple and it’s Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team hasn’t succeeded in shutting gizmodo down completely with its raids, just yet. nice to know they’ll at least allow gizmodo to report negative news regarding competitors.

  13. Show me a projected digital keyboard that’s one-tenth as responsive as a real, full-sized, spring-loaded-key keyboard, and maybe I’ll be interested. Same with iPad-like touch-screen keyboards. If you are interested in text, you need a keyboard. Ditto mouse — no alternative kind of trackball/nubbin/touchpad/whatever you got offers anything like the effortless control of a plain ordinary mouse.

  14. Courier was a good idea, yes – but MSFT’s backing out on it is essentially an admission that they had no clue whatsoever how to actually make it happen.

  16. It cracks me up when people argue against real products by appealing to vaporware. Have we learned nothing in the past 30 years of computing?

  17. @13 Fnarf…I agree. Right now, a real keyboard is needed for serious text input.

    To this end, I’ve added a bluetooth keyboard to my arsenal, and use it with my iPad. I’m working on a book, using my iPad, and I bring the bt keyboard along when I need it.

    But, the ability to leave the keyboard home, or to just grab the iPad when I want to read a research document makes a huge difference.

  18. @15. Timothy, The apple tax in this case then falls to the app store and forced into only getting products that are Jobs approved. Again, not the computer experience I am looking for. Not knocking it as a system of commerce, just not where I would want a constant drain on my wallet.

    Also…link fail.

  19. @17 – if you’re looking for serious text input, you’re looking for the wrong market segment. Get a decent netbook or laptop and stop whining.

  20. @13 – I’ll go tell all the CS guys to stop working on the eye tracking recognition hardware then, Fnarf.

    Right after you jump off the Aurora Bridge.

  22. @21 k. Just saying. Remember, Apple markets these things for specific segments. It’s not really suitable for moderate to heavy content creation of any type, even if you can run Skype and use the fall version with the forward vid camera (which we now all know is part of the OS, since it’s pretty much an iPhone on steroids). While you can get a keyboard, if you use it that much you’re probably using the wrong device.

    Now a good question would be: why do Apple netbooks suck so much? and will they ever get their heads out of their asses on that?

  23. @6, nobody says you have to use that kind of interface if you don’t want to, but having it as an option would be wonderful. Sitting on our butts and only making tiny motions for hours on end has seriously negative health implications.

    Cubicle life would even be more tolerable if we could pace back and forth while working and keep virtual apps on a shelf or in a drawer that we had to literally reach to access. Wad up that unwanted window and shoot it into the virtual/real recycle bin across the room and get a tiny bit of exercise in the process.

    While the iPad is a great step, interfaces still have a long, long way they can go.

  24. @22 Will…

    I’ll decide what I like to use it for, thanks! 🙂

    That said, I agree for the most part. This is an appliance, but I find the form factor compelling for the purpose of researching and writing the book I’m working on.

    Still, this is primarily a reader for me. The rest is just gravy.

  25. @22, Apple doesn’t make a netbook yet. Will in Seattle failure #1.

    @20, you don’t know any “CS guys” to tell. Will in Seattle brown stain failure #2.

    Also @20, eye tracking is even even stupider text-input method than pop-up touch-screens. Will in Seattle skull vaccuum failure #3.

    @19, if you think a netbook — any netbook — is capable of “serious text input”, you’re not only full of shit, you’re entirely made of the stuff. Will in Seattle descending colon brain equivalency failure #4.

    Four strikes says you really should stop commenting on tech threads, because you are UNAWARE.

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