Microsoft's Courier 'digital journal': exclusive pictures and details (update: video!)
By Nilay Patel 
posted March 5th 2010 1:44PM
posted March 5th 2010 1:44PM
As we've heard, the interface appears to be pen-based and centered around drawing and writing, with built-in handwriting recognition and a corresponding web site that allows access to everything entered into the device in a blog-like format complete with comments. We're also hearing that there will be a built-in camera, and there's a headphone jack for media playback. Most interestingly, it looks like the Courier will also serve as Microsoft's e-book device, with a dedicated ecosystem centered around reading. It all sounds spectacular, but all we have for a launch date is "Q3 / Q4", and we have no idea how much it's going to cost, so we're trying to maintain a healthy skepticism until any of this gets official -- call us any time, Microsoft. One more pic showing the interface after the break.
Update: We've added a gallery of user interface shots -- some of which we've seen and some of which are new.
Update 2: We've just gotten two full-length HD videos of the interface in action. We've seen parts of these before, but there's some new stuff here that's quite interesting. Check it below.
Looks like something that will be nice for graphics designers, but it sounds like something not aimed at the majority of the population. And it seems a little optimistic in its handwriting recognition. It has increased dramatically, but it isn't at the level those videos want you to think it is.
Still though, very cool looking and really unique.
@DJ Actually most the handwriting recog on CE is easily at this level.
Like so many of you guys, I've been looking for any and every tidbit I could find to convince myself that this isn't just some pipe dream. To me, the final design would seem to be the easy part but I found proof that the HARD part has already been taken care of! Check out this info from a company that MS has invested in since last year: http://www.n-trig.com.(Look at the media section for some genuine action!) Software development and implementation is Microsoft's final hurdle to bringing this to reality. Are we really gonna doubt them in THAT area? Not me! Especially with what we've already seen from the Zune HD. Just a matter of time, peeps!
@ObsessedwithCourierDisorder check out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PELSdiRmEDE
This MS project reminds me very much of the courier.
@delgadilloaaron Actually I've been using this app on my tablet for about a year and a half now. I can see at least 3 distinct techs that are being adapted from MS research and in Courier's UI. I'm seriously digging the "pocket" though.
Sorry for messing up the link...it's http://www.n-trig.com and they even have an ABC interview where this tech is shown just like in the concept vids! Other videos prove the value of this form factor as well as other options for use. You have to see it for yourself! The future is here, baby!
@ObsessedwithCourierDisorder great info
Now this I'm exceited about. I see this being much more business friendly. I hope that this could replace the endless paper based notebooks I take to meetings and use it as an personal organizer and notebook.
Love the dual screen book style interface. I only wish there was a way to get on some type of beta testing cycle for this device!!!
@shaunmitchell I think you are correct. This has the feel of a business device. Will consumers spend their own hard earned money on a device that lets them work even more?
do want
its a really impressive interface, but i need to see a live demo to believe that is possible.
@Tristan88888888 If you check out the link I left, you'd see it! http://www.n-trig.com These guys are Microsoft allies on this. I have OCD because I was looking for the same answers as you. Finally found some. OK, bye, bye now.
I am eagerly waiting for courier. Though I booked iPad on the first day but these two have different funtionalities...ipad is a Text book/Book READER while courier would be a Great Note-book/Journal WRITER.
Their combo would be like TEXTBOOK & NOTEBOOK.
Courier= possible but not probable
http://community.research.microsoft.com/blogs/alpineinker/archive/2010/03/17/postcard-from-the-future.aspx
Ok check one for thecourier!
Pen & Paper, at this point in time, has not died. Even with netbook, smartphone and PC sitting right in front of me in the office, I still go through stacks of scratch paper and my pen constantly needs replacing... and I'm a designer.
For people who keep on railing against pen/stylii, they obviously do not know how important pen/paper is to every day work/personal environments. We STILL use pen/paper at home. We still take notes. We still sketch ideas and a whole lot more.
Pen computing will be valid for many, many more years to come. Just because Apple made it fun to touch stuff on a screen does not in any way invalidate pen/stylus computing.
If MS continues to present the courier as a journal device, this will mean that MS is creating a whole new category of device, unlike the iPad, whose reason for existence is, at best, contrived.
@ounkeo agreed 100% i cant go out with an ipad and sketch on it but this clearly i can so its not even a question which would be more useful to me
Wow... Now that's a real device that Westerners can use!
forget the iPad and its boring iphoneos... only good thing about the iphone/ipad is the jailbroken OS and even then its still pretty junky... I cant even have 5 websites of text open before safari crashes.
http://bit.ly/trio-go
@reenaronins u might wanna double check your link. It goes nowhere.
No one has said anything about the picture with an all black bezel. Is that closer to the final product?
april fools
the tables have really turned....
well done microsoft again..just wow
Man. Every time I see this same video it gives me such nerd chills. I just hope it lives up to the expectations.
Super glad to see Microsoft going with a pen-based UI for this. Makes it actually useful for creative stuff. I would like features for writing scripts/novels. Would like a thesaurus, dictionary, and a Pixel Qi or Mirasol screen. And some sort of word processing features that include outlining, plus ability to export to Word.
I want one of these NOWWWWWW!!!!!!. IPad is cool, but this in my opinion takes the cake. if they can make it for roughly the same cost as an ipad, then i will line up outside and happily wait for one.
I completely missed this earlier. Thanks to new post re invitation. This appears to be a very good alternative of taking notes whilst attending lectures without drawing too much attention and more importantly, i can directly use all the graphs I need to draw in the lecture halls (lots of math)! - please MSFT, allow us to use LaTeX in it.
With two screen it also allows for actual keyboard typing with two hands without everything being flat. Basically a laptop with a virtual laptop. Very nice.
What I see being incredibly useful is like in the demo if an interior designer could take it with them, take a photo of a room, apply paint colors to the walls andn show the client right then and there what it would look like! Then they could easily reference the color numbers and ready the order. Literally they could probably even put in virtual furniture as well. It's pretty sweet.
The iPad didn't do much for me but after seeing this demo, wow. Just wow.
I may have decided to get this over an iPad; but I'm a lefty. And although there is probably some lefty orientation; I'd rather use something that was made for either hand.
I too agree that this device is interesting. I'm wondering if anyone has any concern about the demo in regards to just "taking" content from the web to use in work projects. It looks like it's adovacting copyright restrictions.
I feel exactly the same way about this I felt about the Ipad when the rumor mill started up - could be really cool, if they do it right. Connectivity will be key here, and i dont mean just wifi. Lets see some snazzy bluetooth uploads or something so that I feel less bad about it not running win 7!
I am waiting on Notioninks Adam but would consider also buying a Courier if it has the Mirasol or Pixelqui screen. It makes sense from a usability and price point basis. Lcd screens, I really think, don't have much of a future. Notionink just posted some new etries on their blog and they really seem to be something special. They seem to be the cutting edge.
Apple lawsuits to counter in 5...4...3...2...1
The catch with Courier? It looks as if its the equivalent of Onenote. From the surface it doesn't look as if it does other apps very well, or that its designed for multimedia. Obviously we are a ways off from this being released so who knows. This is such an early design that it may very well chance by the time a working product is demoed.
am i the only one who find this thing F*****G hard to use?? there are hidden buttons everywhere, and there's no logic to it. I see how nice it could be on a creative point of view, but frankly i don't see people buying it, and there's no point comparing it to the iPad since the only real thing they could do in common is books, and thats about it.
each screen is too small to enjoy a video or surfing the web, and it def wont be as cool for games. And the fact that it looks so complicated and not intuitive will lose ppl, and make it another MS failure
@philibertarthur
man. apple is spoiling the world with its idiot proof 'intuitive' navigation. This thing is clearly intuitive and clearly has a learning curve. But once mastered it looks like itl be a beast for productivity. I'm glad its complex, itl keep the idiots away from it.
aswell, this thing like it will be fantastic for web browsing. 2 - 7 inch portait screens? who knows maybe you can have two windows open?come on you've got to be joking on bashing this. you don't see anyone complaining about potrait web navigation on the iphone, which is worlds smaller.
And i think from the videos its clear this isn't primarily a media device. So yes, watching videos will probably be a little awkward. But if all you want to do is watch videos and other, as this guy says it, consumption based tasks, go waste your money on an ipad and leave this device for people with important things to do.
@JamesHks
shit, i forgot 'this guy' was from another courier article
@JamesHks yeah as i said there's no point for people comparing this to the iPad as they are completely different.
and i don't think apple's intuitive interfaces are "idiot". there's no other company who succeeded as much as them with their easy to use products. it's not because it's easy that it's stupid, quite the contrary. i really don't understand why so many ppl on this blog hate apple. they went from almost nothing to being a huge successful company owning more than 70% of mp3 players business.
this courier thing looks like photoshop. might be able to do awesome things, but it also looks hard as hell to use. no one wants to read a manual. it's gonna be a niche product, and it will stay that way
@JamesHks Statement like:
"This thing .... clearly has a learning curve. But once mastered it looks like itl be a beast for productivity. I'm glad its complex, itl keep the idiots away from it."
is precisely why consumers, the vast majority of users, won't buy it and is precisely why it would fail.
Geeks like to think they are the majority of consumers but they are not.
Wow. That does look amazing.
@chispito
I think that they are helpful .
and really need because convenient .
But I think that them are expensive
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@chispito
I think that they are helpful .
and really need because convenient .
But I think that them are expensive
___________________________________
http://www.laptopshop.vn
laptop gia re
That is really impressive and innovative. It will surely do well!