At any given time, we’re looking at new ideas, investigating, testing, incubating them. It’s in our DNA to develop new form factors and natural user interfaces to foster productivity and creativity. The Courier project is an example of this type of effort. It will be evaluated for use in future offerings, but we have no plans to build such a device at this time. – Frank Shaw, Microsoft Corporate VP of Communications
And just like that, Microsoft confirmed and, unfortunately, denied the Microsoft Courier. Back in September Gizmodo broke news that Microsoft had a magical tablet of sorts in the works; pictures and even a video of the prototype device had found its way into the mainstream. Then came October and November, and those months brought more leaked video and images. Then as recent as last month hard details surfaced; this “digital journal” running an advanced varient of Windows Phone 7 with enhanced UI features like dragging, flicking, copy & pasting, and “pocket”-ing all of a sudden started to come alive. And then the words of Frank Shaw shut it all off. The Microsoft Courier, the future proto-tablet that could, ceased to become a reality.
According to sources close to the matter Microsoft did hire an internal team to work on the Courier and there were actual plans to tranform it into a marketable device. However, Microsoft just recently ordered Team Courier to close up shop. Reasons, unknown. Although the Courier prototype we’ve come to know and love thanks to a slew of leaked renders is dead and gone, all is not for naught. We may very well see the innovative user interface deisgn come to fruition in some other Microsoft project(s) in the works. But it’s a shame, really. Microsoft–you had something BEYOND AWESOME with this thing! Oh well, Windows Phone 7 will have to fill the void.