The tablet computer market has been heating up in recent months with rumors. Most eyes have been watching for an Apple tablet, but now there is a report that a groundbreaking tablet may be on its way from Microsoft.
The tech site Gizmodo reported Tuesday that a secret Microsoft project, code-named Courier, is working on a two-screen tablet — essentially, a computer “booklet.”
Animated Video
According to the report, the device features two approximately seven-inch multi-touch screens, and the primary interaction would be using a stylus for writing, flicking and drawing, in addition to finger-based input.
There’s a camera on the back cover, and battery and Wi-Fi signal strength are shown along the rim of one of the screens.
The research project is reportedly being led by J. Allard, head of technology and user experience for Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices division. Gizmodo said Courier is in the late prototype stage, with the team working on development of the full user experience and making presentations to outside agencies who might work on final development and rollout.
A video demonstrating the device, labeled with the name Pioneer Studios, is also available on Gizmodo. It presents the user experience of the device with animation showing a user moving labels and other materials from one screen to another with a drag and flick of a finger.
The interface and user experience shown in the video are radically different from any version of the Windows operating system, with a smooth interplay of multi-touch interaction, stylus writing, and a seamless two-screen desktop of objects and mini-applications. Inspired touches include a virtual pocket in the hinge between the screens, which can “hold” items.
Other sites are contending that, while the tablet prototype is under way, it is only one of a variety of radical new directions Microsoft is internally developing.
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