Remember that time when you were just totally stumped for ideas on a new Nike Dunk SB color scheme? Well, if you had a
Microsoft Courier -- whose interface concepts have now been detailed extensively in a new video on
Gizmodo -- you'd have little trouble recalling the incident, thanks to fancy tools like an "infinite journal," "grid" and "search" to keep your little virtual scrapbook in order. On display are new gestures that use both the pen and fingers, and seem a little more obvious and common sense than last time around. Copying and "tucking" an image for instance (clipping it to the black binding in the center) is done with a finger, as is a swipe gesture that pulls up the browser, and another swipe that pulls up the home screen of sorts. The pen is more reserved for annotation and sketching, which seems logical. Your journals of stuff can be shared with browser-bound friends, and even packaged up into a customizable virtual Moleskine, elastic band and all. There are still plenty of missing pieces, like a virtual keyboard or pretty much any apps outside of scrapbooking and web browsing, but this iteration certainly looks a lot less theoretical and complicated than what we've seen so far.
Update: ZDNet's Mary-Jo Foley
has more details from a "connected tipster" about Courier. According to her, Microsoft is running this on top of Windows 7, similar to how Microsoft Surface runs on top of Windows, and that the concept got its start as a reinvention of Microsoft's OneNote for a strictly tablet form factor. Word is that it's an "incubation project" (as opposed to a more conjectural Microsoft Research project) and Microsoft is apparently aiming for a mid-2010 release. The wildest part is that Microsoft is "leaning toward" the Xbox model of building the hardware itself, which apparently will help speed things along -- and delight hardware partners to no end, we're sure.
posted September 29th 2009 12:11PM
Nice Headline :)
....Exciting Life of a Shoe Designer...
I sincerely hope that the final product will be nearly as fluid and immersive as seen in these videos.
I watched one of the demos this morning and still don't get how I would use it, not being a shoe designer and all...Anyone? I mean if I want to just surf the web I have a laptop for that, etc, etc. It does register on the coolness meter, tho, so I might try to contact LeBron for his input on what he like in his next set of kicks.
The concept rocks :)
Perhaps I'm foggy here, but back when Apple introduced the Mac, didn't the demo-case feature ... tennis shoe design? Don't have a clue as to how that fits here, except maybe "... when in doubt ... add tennis shoes, then they'll understand."
Hmmm. Did anyone notice that as the shoe designer was looking through her web pages (with the rolodex metaphor), she had the Apple homepage open. Funny, nothing in advertising is an accident, but I'm not sure why MS would keep it in there. Maybe the same marketing genius who came up with the Windows House Party video.
Look forward to seeing this out in the wild... looks like a solid offering if they get the software to work as advertised.
I want that so bad. Just the idea of it is enough to hold off buying a Cintiq for a while longer... I'd give up some professional precision for portability and organization built in.
This item looks interesting. Having tried to organize myself using smart phones, tablet pcs and planners I am skeptical that this approach would become habitual for me. I'm asking myself if I really need to organize my life with snippets from the web and so on. Is this gadget going to somehow give me the capacity to organize particular kinds of projects therefore Ill start managing particular kinds of projects? I may find myself seeking a more complicated life style in order to use this gadget to its potential.
Right now there is someone completely sticky from glue sticks with paper cuts from magazine clippings jumping for joy that this product is coming.
I absolutely agree with this. This is my problem with the concept because it is not that far different to other concepts that I have tried in the past (Palms, Pocket PCs, etc) that I hoped would enable me to digitise my organisation but ultimately became so annoying that I went back to low-tech solutions. For some people I can see this being a great product (for example, the person further down who thinks that this could replace a Wacom tablet), and the concept looks really interesting, but I remember feeling this way about other such products that I ended up selling and it is this that gives me pause for thought.
I think it's a case of "If you really need to question why you need something like this, this isn't for you". Same as with Smartphones. There are people who will use this to it's full potential for the exact reasons it was created, and there will be those who buy it because it's cool and expensive, and probably only use it for menial tasks any laptop or tablet could've done.
If you're on the fence, you're better off just getting a cheaper laptop or tablet.
Oh, now I understand . People are on the fence about it because instead of naturally using the device, it forcing you to use it a certain way, and not actually helping you work normally or efficiently.
Did anyone else notice they had Apple's new shuffle product page open, with the headline "Small Talk". Nice little cheap shot there.
This looks awesome and I love th idea. I'm hesitant however given that this is supposed to run on top of a windows 7 base. That means x86, lower battery life, and potentially slow interface over something lighter weight.... I really hope Microsoft gets it right this time because the idea is absolutely brilliant!
this has the potential of replacing ALL of my notebooks for my college courses!
think about it, instead of lugging a backpack around full of notebooks and binders, I can just slip this bad boy in and be ready to go.
heck, i may not even need to bring a laptop to class anymore.
this + 4G connectivity = the future
Exactly what I was thinking; this would be my number one tool in law school. As soon as I find a way to quickly digitize my text books, I'd be SET.
The entire concept is simply fantastic.
I'm a teacher and I can see students using this as their notebook with their textbooks loaded right into their Couriers. With wifi, I could send them an exam to do right on the screen and it could send their responses right back. The amount of paper that would be saved is phenomenal, not to mention the thousands on textbooks. (Yes, I know electronic versions still cost, but they are quite a bit less that the tree versions.)
What I would need in class though, is a way to make sure student Couriers were doing what I want them too... not watching movies, playing games, or IM'ing their friends.
This thing is super awesome. I love the way u can do so many simple things in such complicated ways. That's y I stay away from Apple toys. This thing totally forces you to use your brain and that's super awesome. And I hope they build it themselves to make sure the hardware/software integration is super awesome as well.
Be quiet MS. plz show me the real product to buy. I want to buy in store with pocket money. I don't want to see future device or unexpected price.
like MS video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V35Kv6-ZNGA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP5y7yp06n0
Vote this man up.
Absolutely stunning. As an admitted Apple fanboy, this is honestly the most exciting bit of tech I've seen since the e-ink/e-reader introduction.
Keep it coming, Microsoft.
If you look closely, the Apple website is open in the browser of the Courier. Now really, why would Microsoft do that? They wouldn't. This is either a fake, or Apple toying with us.
This thing looks great microsoft......
I heard Ballmer didnt see the videos, yeah right, this looks way to much like the codex not to be microsoft....
What would be best is if the in the hinge in the middle was part of the screen so you can get a bigger screen.
bendable screen are already a reality
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwuq32Xd6ow&feature=player_embedded
also I wonder is they will only target the business consumer. what about entertainment.
they better have zune software and xbla type gaming.
My 2 cents.
The Microsoft Courier has no chance against the Apple iSlate. Microsoft needs to stay out of the hardware business and stay focused on the software side. www.islate.org