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Thursday, October 1, 2009

I Actually Want This Microsoft Product

Posted by on Thu, Oct 1, 2009 at 11:40 AM

This "leaked" video for the Microsoft Courier is pretty incredible:

I love the idea of rethinking the personal computer as an endless book called the "infinite journal." It really appeals to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fan in me. And of course it would be a great ebook reader. Has Microsoft finally outdone Apple? I'm much more excited for the Courier than I am for the potential Apple Tablet.

 

Comments (21) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment
Carollani 1
Interesting. I want to play around with it.
Posted by Carollani http://twitter.com/carollani on October 1, 2009 at 11:45 AM
2
The reviews I've seen on this make it out to be awesome. I really hope it's not something like the Surface a great idea that spends too much time in development.
Posted by Little Red Ryan Hood on October 1, 2009 at 11:50 AM
boxofbirds 3
I look forward to your crushing disappointment.
Posted by boxofbirds on October 1, 2009 at 11:54 AM
stinkbug 4
Does it support left-handed-ness?
Posted by stinkbug on October 1, 2009 at 11:55 AM
5
The difference is that the Apple Tablet might actually ship. I sat through a lot of really truly genuinely awesome next-generation UI/next-platform UI demonstrations at company meetings when I was at Microsoft (developer, full-time, multiple groups, filled my 1st-gen lucite ship-it brick), and none of them ever got out of research. Which was a shame, because they looked really excellent. So does this, of course - maybe this'll be the one that actually works out.
Posted by Former Microsoftie on October 1, 2009 at 12:00 PM
Urgutha Forka 6
I dunno...

But I like the name "courier" better than "tablet" at least.
Posted by Urgutha Forka on October 1, 2009 at 12:00 PM
Fnarf 7
I've never been keen on 1.0 of Microsoft products. I'll wait for Courier New.
Posted by Fnarf http://www.facebook.com/fnarf on October 1, 2009 at 12:06 PM
elenchos 8
Paul, don't be so gullible. It's a glitzy interface on top of a prouct that offers no new solutions for the problem of finding and organizing all your crap, plus everyone else's crap that you want to keep track of.

"Scroll through your favorite sites until you find the missing piece!"

Right, because when I want to find a particular photo in my library of 3,783 images (which only covers 2008-2009, and only the ones I took myself -- forget about all the images to be found on my "favorite sites") nothing beats scrolling! I love to scroll and scroll until I find just what I was looking for.

"With a click, you can surf your contacts and share your inspiration with everyone on your team!"

Everyone on your team is Microsoftspeak for "everyone who is using a licensed copy of this product; excludes the entire rest of the world."
Posted by elenchos on October 1, 2009 at 12:26 PM
Jeremy from Seattle 9
Buh-Dum-Bum.

I was waiting for a font joke because I was too lazy to come up with one myself.
Posted by Jeremy from Seattle http://www.x-dezyn.com on October 1, 2009 at 12:26 PM
Will in Seattle 10
I really wish @8 was not correct, but he is.
Posted by Will in Seattle http://www.facebook.com/WillSeattle on October 1, 2009 at 12:52 PM
seattle98104 11
Because UI demonstration == a real product ...
Posted by seattle98104 http://music.welovejen.com on October 1, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Cracker Jack 12
"Endless Book", "Infinite Journal" -- until you run out of hard drive space, that is.
Posted by Cracker Jack on October 1, 2009 at 12:54 PM
13
@12: Who runs out of storage space anymore? A *terabyte* of external storage can be had for $70. I can't even fill my iPod.
Posted by mint chocolate chip on October 1, 2009 at 1:29 PM
Gitai 14
Add a feature that allows me to dispense with the pen when I'm not drawing, and I'll be all over that bitch. Especially since I don't draw.
Posted by Gitai on October 1, 2009 at 2:38 PM
B Strand 15
Love that they used Aesop Rock's "All Day" as their music.
Posted by B Strand http://www.twitter.com/strand206 on October 1, 2009 at 2:56 PM
16
@11: ... returns 0.
Posted by butterw on October 1, 2009 at 3:34 PM
Fnarf 17
I'm hoping there's a way out of the problem @8 brings up, but it is a classic Microsoft failing -- thinking that the internet is the LAN and the LAN is the internet. It would never occur to a Microsoft employee that someone "on the team" wouldn't be another Microsoft employee.
Posted by Fnarf http://www.facebook.com/fnarf on October 1, 2009 at 3:52 PM
18
Allegedly, Courier is running Windows 7. It's like an appliance dedicated to running OneNote.
Posted by Loonesta on October 1, 2009 at 6:46 PM
19
@17 Jesus fucking christ, do you seriously believe Microsoft people are that brainwashed? Please.
Posted by Plop on October 1, 2009 at 6:58 PM
Cracker Jack 20
@13: and you're going to carry that around with your Infinite Journal? Perhaps a backpack of "pages" for your endless book?

It's just the slightly hyperbolic marketing language that falls apart the moment you actually poke it.
Posted by Cracker Jack on October 2, 2009 at 6:17 AM
gember 21
An LCD screen is not an ebook reader unless you hate the outdoors.
Posted by gember on October 2, 2009 at 12:27 PM

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