Modder creates dual-screen Courier from Dell Mini 9, calls it Harlequin, Joker unavailable for comment
By Tim Stevens 
posted December 9th 2009 7:57AM
posted December 9th 2009 7:57AM
Microsoft's Courier, the dual-touchscreen wunderbooklet, had plenty of gadget lovers in a tizzy in late September -- even though the company itself doesn't seem to know what to do with it. An eventual release of the thing seems unlikely, so user Pak-Kei Mak over at the My Dell Mini forums created his own. It's a Dell Mini 9, or was a Dell Mini 9 anyway, bisected and keyboard replaced by another nine-inch display. This pic and another were posted back around Halloween, showing the two halves loosely coupled together, but pakkei has indicated a laser-cut custom case is in the works to bring it all together in a much tidier package. We do love lasers.
Update: Pak-Kei Mak commented to say he's still "steamrolling along" with this design and will have updates for us soon. As it turns out this is the very-same Pak-Kei Mak who was one of our Kindle engraving contest winners a few months back, which interestingly also featured the use of lasers. It's a small world, ain't it?
Update: Pak-Kei Mak commented to say he's still "steamrolling along" with this design and will have updates for us soon. As it turns out this is the very-same Pak-Kei Mak who was one of our Kindle engraving contest winners a few months back, which interestingly also featured the use of lasers. It's a small world, ain't it?
Can I say lollipop?
@LowestRanked
Please don't.. Ive seen enough homo-erotocism from the last dell advert..
Hax!
Pak Kei was one of the people who won a laser etched Kindle 2 in an Engadget contest.
Also, I think Pak Kei designed the icons in Trillian.
@danreetz Yep, correct! Thanks Dan!! Hope you enjoyed your Kindle, with books you just scanned with your DIY Book Scanner project!
http://www.pakkeimak.com
Shit man, you can make ANYTHING out of a Dell Mini.
@N900 My house is created from Dell minis.
@N900
Mcgyver
@geekthree I'm not sure who this Mcgyver fellow is, but I'm sure Macgyver would appreciate him.
Want to see more pic's of this, and a hands on.
While I applaud the impressiveness of the DIY project, the software that runs on top of Windows 7 on the Courier device is, in my opinion, the most significant feature of the Courier device. Dual touchscreen hardware devices have been proposed previously (the OLPC XO-2 comes to mind), but sandwiching a traditional platform onto a dual touchscreen device didn't provide a compelling reason to consider a dual touchscreen device. The new paradigms illustrated in the software running on Courier I feel really exploit the dual touchscreen hardware. While building new hardware for the sake of it may be cool, writing new software and new paradigms to exploit the new hardware is what elevates the hardware to a new level.
For example, imagine the hardware of the iPhone running any existing mobile phone OS that was around at the time of the original iPhone. While Apple had combined certain existing technologies together into one hardware device, the real thing that sold iPhones was the iPhone OS.
Now if the modders could get some version of the Courier software running on it - that would be a different story...
@(Unverified) In other words: "developers! Developers developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! ..."
@(Unverified) Was the use of the word Paradigms really necessary TWICE ? To be honest i wouldn't even call the Courier OS demo a new programming paradigm, it's more of a touch screen skin of windows 7.
@(Unverified) I couldn't agree more.
As pakkei has clearly (if roughly) proven, anyone can make the Courier hardware; it's the OS that blew everyone away, plain and simple.
How is it more unlikely that Microsoft will launch the Courier than Apple launching its iTablet or whatever you like to call it? Really can't remember that much disbelief in posts about the iTablet.
Oh well, I must be seeing things..
@Johanu There have been multiple leaks and whisperings about Apple developing a Tablet, and unlike MS they actually create their own hardware. It would be a very strange step for Microsoft to create it's own device running a custom OS, as they usually leave the hardware to OEM's.
Oh, and the fact that Steve Ballmer had no idea what the Courier video even was could be a good indication of it's level of reliability.
@SarnGate
I think there's been a lot more stable information about the Courier than the Apple Tablet, which leads me to have more faith in the Courier. Not to say I'd be surprised if Apple released a tablet, or released theirs before the Courier, or even that the Courier never sees an actual release! But if I had to place my money, I'd place it on the Courier coming first.
I just thought about Apple's big event early summer or whatever... But don't they split them up into iPod events and MacBook events now? Maybe there will be an event just for their tablet? Either way I don't care. My eyes are on the Courier. Thing looks boss.
@(Unverified) IMO the Courier "leak" was a staged preemptive strike coordinated between MS and Gizmodo. They did the same thing with their multitouch mouse lab just a few days/weeks before Apple released the Magic Mouse. The Courier "OS" is nothing more than some 3D renders that MS fanboys will point to when Apple releases their tablet first. Then they'll say, "See Apple didn't do anything new, MS has been working on this already." Then the Courier will either disappear into the ether or be released with SW and HW that pales in comparison to the original "leak".
@Chris Murphy
Irony is that this "apple tablet" is NOTHING MORE THAN FANBOY 3D RENDERINGS!
Why would MS and Gizmodo of all places just "team up" to fake out people? Do you realize how stupid that sounds?
There is no evidence that this Apple tablet thing even exist outside of a massive astroturfing effort on the part of fanatics, and bloggers.
Give me some REAL information on this that isnt something along the lines of "well, it's gonna be a larger iPod touch".
@Chris Murphy I would believed you more if you typed "la la la la! I can't hear you!"
@SarnGate Microsoft makes Mice, Keyboards, Joysticks, Video Game Consoles, Surface and Zune. I don't think it would be unimaginable for them to get into the hardware game for a limited purpose device like the Courier. MS doesn't make computers to avoid competing with its own customers (Hardware Manufacturers) I hardly see that being an issue in this case.
Left screen: "Bombings in Iraq deadliest since 2007."
Right screen: "Awesome!"
videos or it didn't happen.... ^_^
Don't you mean you LASER?
Heck, Dell, make me one of these for $500 and I'll buy it right now. Seriously. Want. Want so bad. (But then, I'm a Tablet PC fanboy.)
oh boy!!! appreciate the effort!!!
Brilliant! Dell should hire this guy.
Does anyone know what he does when he is not modding?
@Dr Yusuf AlKindi I'm the head designer of Trillian for Cerulean Studios, at http://trillian.im. I design heads for them. No, I mean instant messenger user experiences, web site, and all kinds of things down to emoticons and such.
Bombings in Iraq?
Awesome!
Hi Engadget, it's Pak-Kei here. Thanks for this great post, and thanks for your lasered Kindle again, by the way.
I took apart the second monitor of the tablet last week, and found a better way to fit the parts together. Nevertheless, it's steamrolling along. I shall post more progress soon.
http://www.pakkeimak.com
The real DSi XL
What is that, plastic wrap?
@(Unverified) To make sure it's FRESHshhhhh, you know.
This thing would rock my business.
If it could:
Be a fully functioning computer.
Have 5 to 6 programs running at once.
Have two windows open at once.
Receive 3G, Blue tooth and phone.
Be stylus compatible.
Be viewable outside.
Have a GPS antenna.
Have Microsoft Office
Have 802.1 antenna.
I would gladly pay $1000 for something like this.
best. title. evar.
:)