Microsoft Courier twin tablet

[Bremen Cole]

I started a thread on this a few days ago in the "other devices" forum https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76072 .... yes, it looks like it could be the one for me

Since I get hammered by all the Apple haters for liking the iPad, will I now get hammered by all the MS haters because I like the Courier?

I just think people that judge others by the electronic gadgets they use are laughable, yet sad..... I've even seen a few sigs around here that bash people liking certain companies hardware.... lame............

[GeoffC]

hey, steady on all - I wasna bashing anybody ....

[Bremen Cole]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

hey, steady on all - I wasna bashing anybody ....

Sorry, I was not directing anything at you... I was talking general.... check out some iPad threads to see what I mean

[fugazied]

Originally Posted by WillAdams

Hamlet53:

If you want dual-screen e-ink and LCD:

http://www.entourageedge.com/

That's a 'real' product. The courier is a product mockup which a team at Microsoft were allowed to release so people didn't think Microsoft were resting on their laurels while companies like Google and Apple innovated with new tablets/phones and mobile OS.

The mockup for the device looks interesting if you need a diary/journal/workpad. Specifically targeting that niche is great, but I wonder if the formats produced by this device will be a new proprietary MS format or if it will be interoperable with other devices and systems. If that data can't be shared with other users who are on Linux or Macs I couldn't use it for work.

It would be fantastic for web designers meetig with clients and brainstorming.

[Patricia]

There are occasions when I would find a twin screen very useful.
When I'm teaching Plato I use the Loeb Classical Library editions, which have the Greek on the verso pages, and an English translation on the recto. It would be useful to have all of Plato on an electonic device which could display in that way.
Similarly, when I'm proofing scans for the MR library, I'm tied to the computer, because I like to have the scan on half the screen and the OCR'd doc file on the other half. With a device like this I could sit on the sofa, or work on the train more easily.

[=X=]

This product of all the eReaders is probably the one that interests me the most of all. It really would make reading eBooks a true pleasure.... as apposed to just a pleasure .

I do hope they add a virtual keyboard in addition to the pen, since typing is much faster and more accurate then having to use a pen. The pen is handy for sketches and quick notes.

=X=

[Moejoe]

I like the looks of this very much, and the MS hate is because of Microsoft's track record in the past and the horrible, buggy software they've released. Of late they seem to be doing a lot to redress the concerns a lot of people have, including, but not limited to, their gorgeous new interface design for Courier and Windows 7 Mobile. Since Gates stepped down Microsoft have upped their game.

[jes1]

I am very interested in seeing how this really works out. I like the idea of the journal format to use as a sketch pad as well as an ebook reader. There is a lot of potential. The dual screen approach would be much safer for carrying in my purse than the big fragile tablet screen of the iPad type devices. I hope it lives up to its potential. If it does, it might just become my next tech splurge.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by jes1

I am very interested in seeing how this really works out. I like the idea of the journal format to use as a sketch pad as well as an ebook reader. There is a lot of potential. The dual screen approach would be much safer for carrying in my purse than the big fragile tablet screen of the iPad type devices. I hope it lives up to its potential. If it does, it might just become my next tech splurge.

It does look great. But for me (and I wonder how many others) a main problem with a design like this is that it requires handwriting. And after so many years of typing on computers and phones I am really not comfortable using script anymore. Typing has become second nature and writing by hand seems slow and awkward. Even thumb typing seems much better. And an on-screen keyboard on a dual screen device? How do you hold it -- unless one screen can be folded back on top of the other.

[dioib]

I am kind of curious to see how those concepts work on a real one; if the display is not capacitive it's not gonna be just as smooth as they're showing it. Battery life is also something to look into. But something which I don't personally like is the dual screen concept; well, I haven't had the luxury to own such a device so far, but I could extrapolate it to be distractive enough to degrade it from any serious choice to live with.

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

hey, steady on all - I wasna bashing anybody ....

karma to you Geoff. I just get a bit tired of all the hate in the competition. someone would have posted something eventually, you were just the first!

[stustaff]

Originally Posted by Patricia

There are occasions when I would find a twin screen very useful.
When I'm teaching Plato I use the Loeb Classical Library editions, which have the Greek on the verso pages, and an English translation on the recto. It would be useful to have all of Plato on an electonic device which could display in that way.
Similarly, when I'm proofing scans for the MR library, I'm tied to the computer, because I like to have the scan on half the screen and the OCR'd doc file on the other half. With a device like this I could sit on the sofa, or work on the train more easily.

i dont really see how that couldnt be accomplished by software dividing a lanscape device into two halves?

my 'issue' with the courier is its almost a little TOO specific for me and im going to guess enough of the market to make it truly viable.

two screens are for 90% of the use a device gets pointless! in my book I read one page at once! when im writing I can only write on one page at once!

I really dont get the love for any two screend(identical type eg 2 LCD) devices.

[Pangolin]

I'd really be up for it if they can pull it off - the video is very impressive. I'm essentially an Apple girl because I like an easy life and Apple helps me with that, but this is far more interesting to me, again, based on the video alone. Wonder if they really can do it!
I'd use it for work and play.
They mention writing and reading, not really covered in the video. Wonder if those apps would be as capable as those shown in the video. If it ran Word I'd be in heaven! Perhaps a touch keyboard on one screen and the other becomes the 'page'. Turn the computer round and you have a lap top set up.
One can dream......

[Bremen Cole]

@Pangolin - I had thought of the lap top set up as well.... it would then be like a netbook.... flip it and then it would hold and read like a book.... There are many innovative ideas for two screens. I have a DS Lite I've had for several years, and I was amazed the uses for the duo screens... heck, it's not a half bad ereader itself....

[surrealmind]

two screens are for 90% of the use a device gets pointless! in my book I read one page at once! when im writing I can only write on one page at once!

I won't speak for the general computing uses of two screens, but it would definitely be feature rich for reading. Opening footnotes on a second screen would eliminate distracting shuttling back-and-forth in the text, opening up extended dictionary entries on the second screen would be less distracting too, and for note-keeping, a blank page would offer new annotation opportunities, much better than p-books or single-screen e-readers. And it's always nice to be able to open two documents at once or to have the same document open at two places at once. Some of these features may seem trivial, but they would make a major difference to students, for example. For students, the ability to refer easily between multiple texts (or the same text) alone is huge, especially in lectures.

As a more personal example, I'm reading the LOTR ebook right now. I'd love to be able to briefly glance at Tolkien's footnotes without skipping forward, and then when I'm done, to click back to a bookmark of Tolkien's maps so that I could quickly find the place names that frequently get mentioned in the text. Just imagine the boon these abilities would offer for a footnote-heavy history text or a sprawling travel narrative.