A prototype Microsoft tablet that raised eyebrows last yr will reportedly not make it onto store shelves , harmonise to gadget blog Gizmodo . Despite all the talk that a leak out demonstration video mother , Gizmodo now says that Microsoft has axed the undertaking .
The intriguing pad , dub “ Courier , ” was insert in September 2009 by a promotional video recording that leaked from Microsoft ’s Entertainment & Devices naval division ( the same one responsible for for the Xbox 360 and Zune ) . It was pitched as a journal - like machine , something that you would carry with you throughout the day to jot down bank bill , save image ; almost a 21st century , literal re - imagining of the “ personal digital helper ” nonpareil . It had a two - step interface of touch and stylus natural process , and ran software program that looked utterly nothing like window — arguably the best thought Microsoft had with the machine .
Microsoft never officially confirm existence of the twist , but if you were holding your breath for its deliverance , you may re-start your regularly schedule cellular respiration . Gizmodo ’s Thursday report of Courier ’s death quotes Microsoft corporate vice president of communication theory Frank Shaw :
At any given metre , we ’re bet at new ideas , inquire , examination , incubating them . It ’s in our DNA to formulate new form factors and innate user interfaces to foster productivity and creativity . The Courier labor is an exercise of this eccentric of travail . It will be appraise for use in future offerings , but we have no architectural plan to build such a equipment at this time .
Maybe Courier was never anything more than an internal conception video that was never intended to see the light of twenty-four hour period . But just from that initial video , fans and savant seemed really activated , or at least interested , in the Courier , perhaps because of its radical departure from Microsoft ’s “ just put Windows on it ” pill scheme that has so far go wrong since “ tablet PCs ” became the stuff of myths and punchlines .
In fact , Courier seemed to be the first Microsoft gadget that people spoke about positively since the Zune ’s unfortunate stumble from what impulse it had . It was far along enough for Microsoft to put some becoming money into a promotional video , and at least “ on paper , ” messenger look like it had potential . It ’s too bad that Shaw did n’t actually answer why the intersection was shelved .
