Microsoft "Courier" Pictures

tekgoblin writes to let us know that Gizmodo has some early shots of the new prototype "Courier" booklet (foldable tablet) on the way from Microsoft. "Courier is a real device, and we've heard that it's in the 'late prototype' stage of development. It's not a tablet, it's a booklet. The dual 7-inch (or so) screens are multitouch, and designed for writing, flicking and drawing with a stylus, in addition to fingers. They're connected by a hinge that holds a single iPhone-esque home button. Statuses, like wireless signal and battery life, are displayed along the rim of one of the screens. On the back cover is a camera, and it might charge through an inductive pad, like the Palm Touchstone charging dock for Pre."

Comments

Re:This is very cool.

[jo42]

If I could have the screen of an iPad and put it in my pocket

a) Get a bigger pocket.
b) Get a pocket that is bigger on the inside than on the outside (see Tardis).
c) Get a brain and realize the idiocy of your statement.

Which will it be?

Re:Wrong link

[Tjp($)pjT]

I would not count on cheap dev tools from Microsoft. Even when Apple shipped two 3rd party commercial compilers as well as there own Mac pascal products with ETO (their big developers kit) Apple seeded and continues to see paid developers with early releases for a cheap price, $249 for ETO renewal at one point, versus $1700 to renew my Microsoft "Universal" kit. And now Apple has looked at the success of the iPhone SDK at $99 and is lowering the Mac SDK to $99 as well (they do lose a few benefits like hardware discounts and such, but overall a good deal for more developers). And for the Mac. Just doing app development work and don't need advance access. The tools are on the install disk set for the OS at no extra charge. I don't think Microsoft bundles Visual Studio on their Windows 7 install disks. I have not checked for the new Mac developer $99 program, but for the iPhone that is $99 for the entire team. Under the older Apple Dev programs the Select and Premier paid levels (now replaced with the $99 level) had multiple sets of asset resources they could assign to other "free" apple dev members. I have spent more in 1 year for Microsoft tools for development than I spent in 5 years for Apple for each respective development program.

And having seen Microsoft's cost for sales of 3rd party products, the 30% Apple charges for vetting the App, hosting it, and dealing with the sales transaction fees, well, that is a great deal. Even the App store for Jailbroken iPhones is around that same percentage. And it beats the heck out of what a brick and mortar store returns to the developer.

When you think Microsoft will be a kinder environment for developers than Apple it might be time to start preparations for the disappointment to come.