Can the Microsoft Courier Outdo the iPad?

9 Mar 2010 by Graham Lyons - News apple, courier, iPad, microsoft 3 Comments »

Where would the world be without bit of friendly competition? With the iPad now getting into full swing and soon to be available over here there are a lot of people still sceptical of the device. Perhaps this is due to the lack of multi-tasking or perhaps something to do with the fact that they’ve gotten wind of Microsoft’s Courier Device.

There’s always room in the market for two digital journal/pad ‘things’, and the impending release of Microsoft’s Courier could be a major threat to the iPad’s supremacy. With release details of the device beginning to sneak out, the Courier looks like it’s got a lot of potential. The design of the device looks pretty neat with a book style design encasing dual screens. The Courier could be as small as only 5 by 7 inches when closed weighing in at just over a pound in weight. This is in contrast to the iPad which is roughly 9.5 by 7.5. However it’s worth bearing in mind that the iPad’s size is almost entirely made up by the screen.

Microsoft Logo Apparently the device will run on the Tegra 2 OS as opposed to Windows 7 and will function a lot like a digital journal with a great deal of emphasis on the pen based approach of drawing and writing with built in handwriting recognition and a blog like format to its point of access internet site. In direct competition to the iPad, it looks to also be focusing on e-book features and will likely be built around the reading element. Also, with strong rumours suggesting a built-in camera and headphone jack for your entire media playback needs the Microsoft Courier looks to be the full package.

The fact is that with the variety of issues that have blighted iPad’s entrance such as the lack of multitasking or flash support, a lot of people have been turned off forking out the estimated £500 price tag. Add to this the fact that Microsoft’s Courier shouldn’t be too far behind and the initial sheen on iPad's announcement seems to be wearing off. While the multitasking capability of the Courier is so far unconfirmed it’s highly likely that this is an area that Microsoft will cash in on over Apple. Furthermore it’s an almost certainty that the Courier with feature flash support. Yet another area where the iPad drops the ball.

While a lot of diehards will be swayed by their previous allegiances i.e. ‘are you a PC or a Mac’, the major battle will be winning those currently in the middle ground. With the opportunity there to fill the gaps that the iPad has left, Microsoft’s variation has the potential to take the pole position. That is provided it comes in at the right price at the right time. With its release date still only speculation the closest to a quoted release date is ‘possibly’ “Q3/Q4”. We wait with bated breath.

Until then, check out how the Courier is likely to function in this preview video.