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iPad vs Microsoft Courier

craigc_

craigc_

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 5, 2007
470
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Engadget has some photos of the Microsoft Courier that depict its interface and in my opinion, it does a very good job at it. It will be very interesting to see how the Courier handles the "dual touch-screen" notebook type tablet vs Apple single touch-screen tablet. Also, the Courier seems to rely heavily on the use of a stylus, something Apple has been reluctant to take advantage of. Anybody else love this new interface from Microsoft? I still want my iPad but this thing looks just as hot!

Here is a link to the pictures over at Engadget that were posted today: http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/05/microsofts-courier-digital-journal-exclusive-pictures-and-de/
 
bpd115 said:
I thought the opposite actually. To me it seems to be a letdown from what was shown in the concept video.
Click to expand...

Really? What about it let you down? Its hard to see really what the device can do merely based on pictures. But I agree I was overly impressed by the concept video and didn't think the final device could actually turn out like that. But hey I could be wrong. The interface though imo is very good especially for Microsoft. They are really taking to note the idea of a touch user interface (iPhone OS) and not a desktop interface with touch capabilities (Windows Tablet PC).
 
Well the iPad seems to have the big advantage because it exists and actually has a release date.
 
chriszzz said:
Well the iPad seems to have the big advantage because it exists and actually has a release date.
Click to expand...

Yes that is true. I'm just impressed by the photos of the device thus far. Its clear the iPad has the bigger advantage at the moment especially since it has an App Store with pre-existing albeit iPhone apps. But current iPad apps that are in the works from the likes of Wired Mag, 1Password etc look very enticing. Should Microsoft incorporate their own App store (I don't see how they wouldn't) it will be interesting to see how those apps compare to the iPads. Should the Courier take off once released, I can see quite a few iPad apps get ported over to the device. But as always only time will tell.
 
That does look very good. If and when it actually exists I'll take a closer look at it.
 
My original take on the Courier was "wow, I want one." That was months ago. Now the design seems to be a barrier to usability. As a reader or organizer it would be great. For almost any other use the form factor seems clunky unless you could fold it in half so only one display shows. Of course then you'd be putting direct pressure on the unused screen -- not practical.

What it comes down to is a single slate is less unwieldy, and thus a better consumer device, if just for that one reason.
 
I actually don't like the dual small screen thing at all. It is a disadvantage too much of the time.

How do you watch videos? With a hinge in middle? On one tiny screen held sideways? Even ebook reading, which some immediately think will be great because it looks like a book, I think is also actually worse. Two screens don't give you an advantage reading normal text, you only read on one screen at a time, the other is just in the way.

Plus Increased price, increased weight, increased mechanical failure potential (hinge).

I would prefer MS did a tablet with one screen the size of these two put together. They could just drop a split bar down the middle to split the screen and do all the same dual screen stuff, but still have a bigger screen when you want it.
 
I saw the original promo video. Sure, it is "neat", but I was watching this thinking... this isn't how I would use such a device. This seems to be a device geared toward one thing: pulling a bunch of info from various websites to make some kind of portfolio of assorted miscellany. I really don't see much of a need for working that way. Maybe if I was some kind of production designer or something, it would be helpful, but I'm not.

The hardware does look interesting, and it might have a lot of potential (if/when it ever comes out), but I hope it's a lot more versatile that what we've seen in the promo video, and now these screen grabs.
 
Looks ok, but it is Microsoft which means it will find a way to suck. At least it will not work for me. None of their products ever do.
 
TheScappian said:
Looks ok, but it is Microsoft which means it will find a way to suck. At least it will not work for me. None of their products ever do.
Click to expand...

I think this is old thinking. Xbox (despite hardware flaws which I never experiened), the Zune HD, and Windows 7 all work very well. Windows 7 Mobile looks good as well from the previews shown.
 
I really like the Courier but it is too specialized of a device. I can't see myself really doing any web browsing or watching videos with that form factor.
 
Count me in as another sceptic for the moment. It seems like the Courier is a one-trick-pony. Admittedly the digital journal trick appear to work really well but what I'd really like to know is now it copes with other uses. Battery life has also got to be a concern; the dual screens will need a good amount of extra power while a target weight of 1 pound doesn't leave a lot of room for a big battery.
 
What it really comes down to is that Apple REALLY needs to develop it's own OneNote software because that's really all the courier is. Turn the iPad on it's side and add a pogo stylus and it's the same hardware. I wonder if the people who hate the iPad as a big ipod touch but love this realize that the difference is all software imagination.
 
Bytor65 said:
I actually don't like the dual small screen thing at all. It is a disadvantage too much of the time.

How do you watch videos? With a hinge in middle? On one tiny screen held sideways? Even ebook reading, which some immediately think will be great because it looks like a book, I think is also actually worse. Two screens don't give you an advantage reading normal text, you only read on one screen at a time, the other is just in the way.

Plus Increased price, increased weight, increased mechanical failure potential (hinge).

I would prefer MS did a tablet with one screen the size of these two put together. They could just drop a split bar down the middle to split the screen and do all the same dual screen stuff, but still have a bigger screen when you want it.
Click to expand...

Agreed completely. That's my main issue with it too. Most of the things I want to do with a tablet don't need 2 screens. Surfing the web, watching videos, e-reading, playing strategy or board games. All these things don't need 2 screens and are better on one bigger screen.

It's a tablet for business stuff, basically. I want a tablet for fun so it's not for me.
 
<sarcasm>
I want to know why anyone would buy any type of computer right now. I've heard of these quantum computers that will come out in the future that will be lightyears better than what we have now.
</sarcasm>

P-Worm
 
it looks like even more of an esoteric mess with even more questions than the original video.

Questions:

1. Are their various styles one would be able to use? The font used for dates borderlines on unreadable.

2. It apparently would do SMS messaging, so courier users would have 2 numbers? or would this also function as a phone?

3. What about email?

4. It would have benefited them to show something a little bit less scrapbook-like with the journal function. How would it organize various selections of text added?

It just seems really illogical, messy, with a relatively steep learning curve.
 
It's a set of CGI mockups that have actually *changed* from the previous set of CGI images, in response to the iPad.

MS barely managed to get an interface onto the Windows Phone 7. Not only is that yawnfest . . . a yawnfest, but it took them three years and several abortive attempts with WinMo 6 to finally demo it. They aren't capable of something like this. But they *are* quite capable of nice CGI concept mockups.
 
From what I've seen of the Courier so far, it looks like it will be really cool for some designers, artists, and teenage girls. I can't see any practical use, want, or need I'd have for it.

I would like to play around with it for a few hours, though.
 
NinjaMonkey said:
I really like the Courier but it is too specialized of a device. I can't see myself really doing any web browsing or watching videos with that form factor.
Click to expand...

I agree. At the moment it seems very specialized. I'm sure Microsoft will outline other "mainstream" features closer to the official announcement since this device is still only in "concept" form.

IMO the iPad currently will be more successful even after the Courier is launched merely because of the support of the pre-existing App store, deals with publishing companies in place for the iBook store, as well as the shear hype the iPad has created. Add to the fact that millions of people are familiar and swear by the iPhone, the iPad should be a sure hit.
 
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