Microsoft's Manual Deskterity project reveals pen and touch input, Courier's future?
By Donald Melanson 
posted April 9th 2010 1:16PM
posted April 9th 2010 1:16PM
Apple may have made its thoughts on the stylus clearer than ever at its iPhone OS 4 event, but it looks like Microsoft Research is intent on redefining what's possible with a little pen-based input and, if this recently-revealed video is any indication, we're not about to stop them. Dubbed Manual Deskterity, the project is currently based around a Microsoft Surface device, and shows how pen and touch input can be combined for a range of tasks that wouldn't be possible with just one or the other -- using a photo as a straight-edge (as seen above), for example, or using the pen as an X-acto knife to cut a photo while you hold it in place with your finger. Of course, while the project is currently using a Surface, it's hard not to see how it could also be applied to something like Courier, especially considering the strong emphasis on creativity that echoes the Courier demo videos. Head on past the break to check out the whole thing for yourself.
This is exciting. Yes, the tables are indeed turning. So strange. Microsoft seems to make me more excited now than apple. Targetting creativity and isactually being more innovative. Apple is slowly becoming the microsoft i hated. Bloated, commercial and just there to make money.
I dunno how all this plays out but damn I'm excited for MS. I love my macs but MS is definitely heading the right direction!
You know what I just realized? There are consistently more apple h8rs in comments then there are fanboys. Don't get me wrong tho...I wouldn't call myself a fanboy.
@suhaybh
perhaps that is a reaction to all Apple related stories published here?
there are more users using engadment that are using other platforms than their are apple users... people quite natuarally would get fed up with all this Apple news.
And sometimes I think is just a reaction, to the dissapointment when people see that Apple still havent produced the product they were waiting for. And cool, slim tablet running OSx was only a oversized ipod touch, still not flash.
Every year I hope Apple will produce a real smartphone with up to date specs. Decent camera with flash, real multitasking, and so on... and they dont. And in all the comment sections at the end of the year, when someone mentions something that the iPhone is missing, then the defence is on, wait for the next iPhone, it will revolutionize the mobile industry... But that is not likely to happen this year either...
Im not a fanboy, I buy from the producer that make the products i want... and I had high hopes for apple, since that keynote back in january 2007, but when the products was out, it was a disapointment, and ever since, its been the same every year...
@JonHolstein
Maybe that could be anger because the products you care about, no one gives a crap about. We will wait and see how long it takes for the courier to come, I wouldn't hold my breath.
Look at the fanboys eating this up, we've seen crap like this from Microsoft for years and what did we get, a big ass table.
I got some flavour of how a pen and touch work together by on Tablet PC (active digitizer + touch) with OneNote 2010beta. Simply to make more space for writing one is scrolling page down with non-dominant finger - it's a bliss!
I'm only waiting for courier (if ever happens) because it smaller form factor. Otherwise I would be happy with what is offered already.
This seems a lot more magical and revolutionary than the iPad. Look at how unnatural it seems to use a touch device as a workspace. This is the future.
That's awesome. I never thought I'd say that about anything from Microsoft.
I thought something was really interesting-- all the Courier vids we've seen are clean-- they aren't videographed. They seem to be animations. This on the other hand, is a video. The quality kind of sucks [on my computer]. It's not an animation. I just found that weird... This means that this technology has been made, but Courier is probably just a concept/thought.
@achalddave I'm sure there are a number of variables that could contribute to that, like time, lack of an actual working prototype, incomplete hardware, incomplete software, etc. It looks like the concept video we were shown here not long ago might have been something the press got to see back in 2009 but was only recently released to the public.
Perhaps while they're working on Courier behind the scenes, they figured they could demo some similar tech on Surface and show the world that the stylus is not just the passe, antiquated tool Apple seems to be making it out to be.
I know my comment will come out really low on this list of comments, but NEED THIS FOR PHOTOSHOP NAO!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love Mac-head graphic designers. They tout Apple as some sort of magical and revolutionary device for design work, but really Apple is just another platform that supports the REAL tools they use by Adobe. Newsflash: Adobe products run on PCs too. Hell, I just specc'd out a PC that was equivalent to the new iMac, but instead of a 27 inch LG monitor, i specc'd it with 2 24" LG monitors and I STILL had enough money left over to buy a freakin Nexus One for $530.
Sad that people in the advertising/marketing industry are so easily fooled by said advertising and marketing.
To see an example of simultaneous use of pen + touch, but on an LCD display, with fast response, and a Wacom stylus with tilt and pressure sensing, see the following video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WET3jAecH68
The pen + touch work was done by the same group.