What Caused the Death of Microsoft’s Courier?

Remember the Microsoft Courier? Given how it came and went within the span of a few months, I doubt many would fault you if you didn’t. What the Courier was, though, was one of the most innovative-looking products we ever saw come out of Microsoft. A tablet unlike any other, designed not solely for content consumption, but content creation.

The Courier had two screens and opened like a book. It was meant to be used with a pen or your fingers, to jot down notes, draw, plan things out, and even take advantage of some smarter tasks, such as writing out a math equation on the screen and having the device calculate it for you. While alternatives such as the iPad also allows for content-creation, the Courier had it as its main focus right out of the gate.

So what went wrong? As CNET explores, the death of the Courier has a rather interesting history, with it being Bill Gates himself (who retired from Microsoft prior) who ended up making what seems to be the ultimate decision. While Courier’s development progressed, so was a competing team’s product – one that focused a lot more on the Windows OS.

In the end, Courier was not designed for e-mail, while Microsoft brings in billions a year thanks to its Exchange software, while the alternative, a Windows-based tablet, looked to bring the best of both worlds together. Such a design would give users familiarity, and a tablet that could be used for a lot more than just simpler tasks.

Regardless of the reasons Microsoft decided to pursue a true Windows tablet OS, it’s still unfortunate that Courier didn’t have a chance to hit the market. It could have been a success, or it could have been a total flop. We’ll never know.

You can read part one of CNET’s coverage here, and part two here.