Courier was a prototype concept by Microsoft for a dual-touchscreen tablet. The device was conceived as being a digital notebook, consisting of two 7-inch touchscreens hinged together like a book, and running a custom operating system built primarily around handwriting input and a notebook-like journal for storing notes, images, and clippings from web pages.
Reports had indicated that the system was largely developed outside of the normal development channels, and existence of the project was only known by a few key engineers.[1] The project was considered to be a successor of Codex and InkSeine, two earlier Microsoft Research efforts.[2] Microsoft had previously classified the project as an "incubation", which is further along than a "research" project but is not yet in the commercial pipeline.[3]
In 2010, Microsoft confirmed that the project had ended and that they had no current plans to produce such a device.[4] In October 2019, Microsoft unveiled an upcoming dual-screen tablet known as the Surface Neo, which has been widely-compared to Courier in terms of design and concept.[5][6]
- ^ "Microsoft readying Courier touch-screen tablet". The Daily Telegraph. 2009-09-23. Retrieved 2009-09-23.
- ^ "Codex and InkSeine -- the roots of Microsoft's Courier?". endgadget. 2009-09-24. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
ZDNet-steroidswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Microsoft Cancels Innovative Courier Tablet Project". Gizmodo. 2010-04-29. Retrieved 2010-04-29.
- ^ Rubin, Ross. "Surface Neo: How Microsoft's two-screened tablet updated a ten-year-old idea". ZDNet. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
- ^ Allan, Darren (3 February 2020). "Microsoft Surface Neo: release date, news and features". TechRadar. Retrieved 2020-02-26.