The Microsoft Courier dual screen journal was one of the most highly anticipated devices to be reported on, and last week Microsoft officially announced that the project was dead, but the technology still may live on.
Former Microsoft Boss Bill Gates, in an interview with Fox Business network has said ” Microsoft is at work on a number of different tablet projects, with a focus on stylus-based input” He also added that ” the company’s death in the tablet PC space were, at best, premature.”
“Microsoft has a lot of different tablet projects that we’re pursuing. We think that work with the pen that Microsoft pioneered will become a mainstream for students. It can give you a device that you can not only read, but also [use to] create documents at the same time.”
There is no core information regarding the new information regarding the new Microsoft Slate PCS that are rumoured to be in the works. Likely they will retain some elements of the cancelled Microsoft Courier Project. The Courier allowed users to write notes or draw longhand and likely adhering to the stylus aspect of the new Microsoft devices, this element seems to transition over well to the new medium.
Microsoft has announced that it has several new projects in the works, with no release date or specs released. Although we have confirmed that the Microsoft Courier team, for the most part is working on the new Slates/Tablets in the works.
With the bulk of the new Slate team made up of the former Courier team, we can make some assumptions that the slates are geared more towards students and industry professionals. Most likely it will have a stylus as a main way to interact with the device, well be full color LCD touch screen and will have dual screens, similar to the Entourage Edge. Also, it will probably be running on a Windows 7 operating system and having popular applications such as Office and Live, work with the device. Microsoft wants to retain its large population of dedicated Microsoft App Users. Look forward to functionality to encompass such factors as; voice dictation, web cams/conferencing, high-lighting and note taking and a new cloud based resource center.
Although we are all tremendously disappointed that the Courier project was cancelled, there still might be some light at the end of the tunnel. Microsoft is NOT giving up on the new niche of Slate PCS, since the obvious runaway success of the Apple iPad has garnered in such as short period of time. There are a TON of new companies jumping into the Slate PC rat-race, such as HP, Google, Dell, Toshiba, Neofonie, Samsung, and tons of others.
Microsoft cannot afford to pull a Nokia and not capitalize on a new market. Although, Microsoft has claimed that it is primarily working on its new line of Mobile Phones and Netbooks, we can expect more news on Microsoft’s Tablet device in the following few months.
We doubt any release would be soon, more than likely a Microsoft Slate device would appear in the summer of next year. As always, for the latest Slate PC and E-Reader News keep visiting us daily, we follow the latest trends and forecasts. Also, we have one of the best Good EBook stores with over 4 thousand books, check it out.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
