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I'd have to say the Courier has me more excited (I think it has far more potential), but I'm also preparing for it to be a much bigger disappointment. I'm not quite sure where Apple will head with the tablet. Will they focus on their current entertainment ensemble (TV, gaming, music?) or will they try to move into the eReader space and/or expand this into a business focused device. Given Apple's history of innovation and usability, this will likely be a very capable web surfing and entertainment device. The question for me is, if I already have an iPod and a decent laptop, what's going to push me to spend $800-$1000 for this. If Apple would released a device in the $500 range, I think I'd be REALLY excited - I just don't see it being that cheap.
The thing that has me intrigued about the Courier is that the functionality they displayed (albeit in a very business-focused fashion) was something that I don't currently have a device for. I don't have an eReader. I still use a traditional day planner for notes, to-dos, etc. I like to write things down in a journal. All of these would have a place in this device. That and it has two screens - so one screen could be browsing the internet and the other open to a journal. Very cool.
Here's the problem - I just see Microsoft finding a way to under-deliver here. I just seeing this cost too much (I can live with my current "archaic" ways if the price moves close to $1000). Or it won't not working as smoothly as they demonstrated. Or they won't have decent pricing for books/magazines. Or it won't be nearly as user-friendly as the typical Apple device...you get the idea.
Wait, maybe by disappointing me so much, Microsoft has successfully been able to get me to automatically lower my expectations so that anything they release will be a success. Bring on the Courier.
One of the most interesting features of the Courier (at least in the demo) was the
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The mockups of the mac tablet have made me think of a "smart monitor". I would fork over a thousand bucks for a screen that I could setup my photoshop tools on, my lightroom control monitor, my debug window and my SNMP dashboard. I'd pay the money because each of these things could be controlled better with a single finger press or better yet, a motion. I'd love to press the fill tool in photoshop with my finger. I'd love to turn off an alarm by pressing "OK" on my SNMP dashboard. I'd love to flick through a long list of programming warning messages. If I could pick this up and take the smart monitor and take it outside, to the couch or to a meeting and have it seamlessly stay connected ... well that would be awesome.
On the other side, Microsoft's Courier mockups (pen and all) look like a textbook to me. Along with Microsoft's continued desire to be founded in education, I think that their product will be rooted in note taking in the classroom or in the meeting room.
This theory of mine fits in line with the product histories of both Apple and Microsoft. Apple, the creative forward thinking trendsetter and Microsoft the down to earth workhorse.
Who knows... It's late and I've had a busy couple of days... so this could be way off :)
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Because... shiny Apple thing. :D
More seriously though this Microsoft device looks intriguing. On the plus side, more screen real-estate, yet folding down into a handy size for popping in bag or a coat. And a pen interface could be nice if it worked superbly. I was a big fan of the Psion 5mx back in the day. If you could actually write on in as fast as a paper notepad and have your writing recognised accurately that would be quite something.
On the downside... is it overall bulkier than we're expecting the iPad to be? Looks like it. And dividing the screen in two means realisitically you're only going to want to read web pages, play a game, or watch a video using one side at a time, so half the space is redundant a lot of the time.
All things considered what I'd actually love is something the size and shape of a reporter's notepad that you can both use like a giant iPod Touch and write and draw on with a pen.
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Answered Question
M$1
September 24, 2009 12:51 AM
Which rumored device are you more excited about, Microsoft Courier or an Apple Tablet?
Pictures and video have just been released of the Microsoft Courier booklet computer, and rumors have been around for some time that an Apple Tablet computer will also be release in the near future (though this has been going on for some time). Which one sounds more interesting to you? Also, do you think the Courier will speed up the development of an Apple device?
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| September 24, 2009 01:21 PM |
The thing that has me intrigued about the Courier is that the functionality they displayed (albeit in a very business-focused fashion) was something that I don't currently have a device for. I don't have an eReader. I still use a traditional day planner for notes, to-dos, etc. I like to write things down in a journal. All of these would have a place in this device. That and it has two screens - so one screen could be browsing the internet and the other open to a journal. Very cool.
Here's the problem - I just see Microsoft finding a way to under-deliver here. I just seeing this cost too much (I can live with my current "archaic" ways if the price moves close to $1000). Or it won't not working as smoothly as they demonstrated. Or they won't have decent pricing for books/magazines. Or it won't be nearly as user-friendly as the typical Apple device...you get the idea.
Wait, maybe by disappointing me so much, Microsoft has successfully been able to get me to automatically lower my expectations so that anything they release will be a success. Bring on the Courier.
One of the most interesting features of the Courier (at least in the demo) was the
| Asker's Rating: |
• Great answer! Hopefully you can come back and finish the part that was cut off at the bottom.
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Other Answers (2)
September 24, 2009 01:31 AM
I think that both have different applications. The mockups of the mac tablet have made me think of a "smart monitor". I would fork over a thousand bucks for a screen that I could setup my photoshop tools on, my lightroom control monitor, my debug window and my SNMP dashboard. I'd pay the money because each of these things could be controlled better with a single finger press or better yet, a motion. I'd love to press the fill tool in photoshop with my finger. I'd love to turn off an alarm by pressing "OK" on my SNMP dashboard. I'd love to flick through a long list of programming warning messages. If I could pick this up and take the smart monitor and take it outside, to the couch or to a meeting and have it seamlessly stay connected ... well that would be awesome.
On the other side, Microsoft's Courier mockups (pen and all) look like a textbook to me. Along with Microsoft's continued desire to be founded in education, I think that their product will be rooted in note taking in the classroom or in the meeting room.
This theory of mine fits in line with the product histories of both Apple and Microsoft. Apple, the creative forward thinking trendsetter and Microsoft the down to earth workhorse.
Who knows... It's late and I've had a busy couple of days... so this could be way off :)
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September 24, 2009 02:41 AM
I like the booklet better than the tablet. That is what I have been waiting for. The form factor is just right.
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September 24, 2009 01:27 PM
Interesting comment about their product histories - good way to compare/contrast these devices. It will be interesting to see if Microsoft can parlay their "workhorse"/business-focused model into education. Seems like it would be a good fit (especially if I think about how much money I spent on textbooks in college).
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September 24, 2009 01:36 AM
I'm more excited about the iPad! :) Because... shiny Apple thing. :D
More seriously though this Microsoft device looks intriguing. On the plus side, more screen real-estate, yet folding down into a handy size for popping in bag or a coat. And a pen interface could be nice if it worked superbly. I was a big fan of the Psion 5mx back in the day. If you could actually write on in as fast as a paper notepad and have your writing recognised accurately that would be quite something.
On the downside... is it overall bulkier than we're expecting the iPad to be? Looks like it. And dividing the screen in two means realisitically you're only going to want to read web pages, play a game, or watch a video using one side at a time, so half the space is redundant a lot of the time.
All things considered what I'd actually love is something the size and shape of a reporter's notepad that you can both use like a giant iPod Touch and write and draw on with a pen.
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September 24, 2009 03:29 PM
Further thought about.... what's so cool about a reporter's notepad, and about an iPhone, is it can be used standing up, moving around, on top of another book you're reading etc. It's a size you can hold in one hand and write on with the other, or on which you can take notes about something else that you are looking at simultaneously.
A bigger device or a booklet type format doesn't lend itself well to that, so I think that's a big strike against the Courier concept for me.
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A bigger device or a booklet type format doesn't lend itself well to that, so I think that's a big strike against the Courier concept for me.
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Sorry for the unfinished thought. The “One of the most interesting…” lines was something I was going to include in the middle of my post, but I cut some of the thoughts and put them there in different formats. The one thought that I didn’t really include on the Courier was nicely the demo made the interplay between the two screens look (especially when running two different apps). This is where I could see classic Microsoft under-delivery. It just seems like it won’t be so easy to open a new app (with one already open in the same screen). Or cutting and pasting won’t be as simple as it looked. Or the whole thing will just completely bog down at some point. I’m ready to be disappointed…but I sure hope I’m wrong.