Microsoft’s Courier killed: it could have been a contender

Microsoft's Courier killed: it could have been a contender

So, it turned out to be one long tease from Microsoft.

After setting the tech world ablaze with tempting, tantalising video titbits of its sensational-looking Courier concept, Microsoft has pulled the plug on the dual-screen dreamboat device.

Microsoft's Courier killed: it could have been a contender

Frank Shaw, Corporate VP of Communications, crushed the dreams of designers, students, artists and gadget fans with the news that work on the Courier is set to end.

It’s in our DNA to develop new form factors and user interfaces…the Courier project is an example of this type of effort. It will be evaluated for use in future offerings but we have no plans to build such a device at this time.

The company first started moistening gussets in September last year with some exciting videos showing off a dual screen, multi-touch, gesture-driven device that looked set to start a revolution.

Looking like a book and employing both finger control and stylus strokes, this  multi-tasking wonder seemed like the perfect gizmo for eBook reading, note-taking and project management.

iPad killer

It certainly thrilled us more than the more mundane iPad, so we’re hugely disappointed to see Microsoft killing off such an innovative gadget.

Our only hope is that other tech companies have picked up on the huge amount of interest that the Courier sparked and start knocking out something similar.

HP to the rescue?

In particular, we’re looking to HP whose takeover of Palm should see their innovative webOS being used in forthcoming tablet devices (perhaps they’ll be mindful of how Palm missed the boat when they scrapped their Foleo project – just months before the netbook market exploded).

RIP Courier. You could have been a world-beater.

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