Apple is in serious danger of being outclassed by Microsoft in its battle for a tablet PC.
While the word+dog is talking about Apple's iPad, Redmond appears to be readying a tablet which will wipe the floor with it.
Ubergizmo has spotted a Microsoft job ad which confirms that Microsoft is building its Courier dual-screen tablet. Initially the advert mentioned something about a "Courier digital journal" and that info has been hurriedly taken down.
News of Microsoft's Courier has been around since early last year. It is supposed to be less than an inch thick, weigh just over a pound, and is roughly the size of a 5x7 picture when both touchscreens are closed.
Originally it was supposed to run on Redmond's Windows CE 6 operating system powered by a Tegra 2 processor. Also slated to appear are a built-in camera and a headphone jack for media playback.
The interface will be pen-based and focused on providing users with tools for writing and drawing, including handwriting recognition and a Internet-based portal for keeping track of journal entries.
What is surprising is that the advert suggests that it is basically a filofax and a diary. However, anyone could see that you do not need two screens for that. What is possible is that the job ad is to take care of the journal functionality. It also indicates that the tablet will sit on some sort of Microsoft cloud. This will provide much more functionality than anything the iPad can do with iTunes.
First time here - is this example representative of the quality of reporting and comment on this site?
tit-for-tat infl-Apple defrocking?
The Zune worst part was that it was limited to US, just an awesome dumb decision by Redmont.
Now they will probably fall for that "some sort of M$ cloud". Not everyone has high speed mobile internet connection, or need one or even want one. There are lots of places where there isn't one, for starts. So if Courrier functionality is tied to internet, as a mobile it's a dud.
Then there is the battery life issue too. Dual screen, small size and Tegra chip means that it will be short.
M$ never made a worthy gadget in it's whole life, the XBOX360 was pushed out by massive bleeds of cash and incompetence by the Playstation side. I'm really skeptical about it.
Not an apple fanboy, but this article really reeks M$ propaganda, as the author clearly doesn't know what will be this "some sort of cloud" but already states that it will "provide much more functionallity than anything the iPad can do with iTunes". Thought that it wouldn't be hard to do, if it weren't M$.
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