Interesting Technology

[herm]

Microsoft Courier

http://gizmodo.com/5365299/courier-first-details-of-microsofts-secret-tablet?skyline=true&s=x

discuss..

[Mad Duc]

That looks pretty damn cool! Too bad it's Microsoft.  

I like the size & the bookish form factor.

[Johnny OrganDonor]

That looks pretty damn cool! Too bad it's Microsoft.   .............

Kinda suspicious that the demo was animated.  But then, I didn't see the whole thing because my browser (MS Explorer) locked up.

[mitt]

The demo video was pretty cool, and I could see it being pretty useful.

mitt

[erkishhorde]

Kinda suspicious that the demo was animated.  But then, I didn't see the whole thing because my browser (MS Explorer) locked up.

Agreed. Unless I see the real thing in a video and not an animation I'm not impressed.

[zarn02]

But then, I didn't see the whole thing because my browser (MS Explorer) locked up.

That'll probably be a pretty accurate representation of using the product.

[il d00d]

Cool, but I don't see many useful applications.  Without a keyboard, it would be a clipboard.  The world's most expensive, stealable clipboard.  As desirable as that sounds, I am not sure what this can can do that a laptop enabled with today's latest sitting-on-a-horizontal-surface technology could not.

[mitt]

Cool, but I don't see many useful applications.  Without a keyboard, it would be a clipboard.  The world's most expensive, stealable clipboard.  As desirable as that sounds, I am not sure what this can can do that a laptop enabled with today's latest sitting-on-a-horizontal-surface technology could not.

touch screen?

hand writing to text conversion?

sketch pad for design?

as for a keyboard, it will have a touch screen keyboard.

mitt

[NAKID]

I would have to think they would put a touch screen keyboard like mitt said. Hell, my phone has one so a computer like that should...

[il d00d]

Sure, it can do all that stuff, but what need is it satisfying that is not already being satisfied by existing, not to mention better/more efficient technology?

Sketch?  tablet+stylus, mouse
Handwriting conversion?  Even phones can do this, but why write slowly when you can type fast?
Touch screen?  These are nice, but only if you don't have a better input device like a mouse or keyboard.
Touch screen keyboard?  I am not sure how it would work on this device, but I doubt it would work as well as a physical keyboard.  Sacrificing a screen to type would probably take away some of its functionality.

These are all nice add-ons, but I don't think putting them all together results in something that can replace the things they add on to.

Designer of some kind.  That is about the only job description that I can think of where it would fill a niche.

[NAKID]

keyboards take up room that could otherwise be used for display when the keyboard is not in use. Plus, without a physical keyboard, the overall size can be reduced...

[Mad Duc]

I could see it being used in a bunch of situations. I would use it for travel & photography. I could see builders using it for pictures and on site billing/scheduling. Designers as you said too. As long as it's easy to use and hopefully has a USB port it would be great.  No USB ports and usefulness would go way down. No mention of USB on the webpage but that doesn't rule it out...

[il d00d]

Not to belabor the point To completely belabor the point this is how I see Life with a Courier.  The same goes for most tablet devices without traditional input methods.

Go to a class or meeting, take notes. Frantically slash away at the screen trying to take handwritten notes, or use the on-screen keyboard, which hopefully works and with text that I can hopefully see.  Make sketch, which hopefully does not require me to physically move the device from horizontal typing mode to vertical sketch mode and back again.  Result looks like I have sketched it on a 7" touch screen - make note to improve on sketch on actual computer.

Stop by Starbucks, have a $7 coffee, browse the web on my Courier, and look extremely cool

Go back to the office to collate all this stuff, do actual work on my desktop or laptop.


Life with a laptop:

Take notes on keyboard.  Sketch things on notepad, to be scanned later.  If I have time, fire up Visio or a photoshop lite

Stop by Starbucks, have $7 coffee, look marginally less cool.  Get actual work done.

[KnightofNi]

Not to belabor the point To completely belabor the point this is how I see Life with a Courier.  The same goes for most tablet devices without traditional input methods.

Go to a class or meeting, take notes. Frantically slash away at the screen trying to take handwritten notes, or use the on-screen keyboard, which hopefully works and with text that I can hopefully see.  Make sketch, which hopefully does not require me to physically move the device from horizontal typing mode to vertical sketch mode and back again.  Result looks like I have sketched it on a 7" touch screen - make note to improve on sketch on actual computer.

Stop by Starbucks, have a $7 coffee, browse the web on my Courier, and look extremely cool

Go back to the office to collate all this stuff, do actual work on my desktop or laptop.


Life with a laptop:

Take notes on keyboard.  Sketch things on notepad, to be scanned later.  If I have time, fire up Visio or a photoshop lite

Stop by Starbucks, have $7 coffee, look marginally less cool.  Get actual work done.

jesus, we get it. you think this is the best thing since sliced bread. stop being such a microsoft fanboy.   

[mitt]

Sure, it can do all that stuff, but what need is it satisfying that is not already being satisfied by existing, not to mention better/more efficient technology?

Sketch?  tablet+stylus, mouse
Handwriting conversion?  Even phones can do this, but why write slowly when you can type fast?
Touch screen?  These are nice, but only if you don't have a better input device like a mouse or keyboard.
Touch screen keyboard?  I am not sure how it would work on this device, but I doubt it would work as well as a physical keyboard.  Sacrificing a screen to type would probably take away some of its functionality.

These are all nice add-ons, but I don't think putting them all together results in something that can replace the things they add on to.

Designer of some kind.  That is about the only job description that I can think of where it would fill a niche.

you would never make it as an inventor would you?

mitt