Microsoft has unceremoniously cancelled development of its folding, two-screen prototype tablet known as Courier.
“We’re told that on Wednesday, Microsoft execs informed the internal team that had been working on the tablet device the project would no longer be supported,” reported Gizmodo’s Joel Johnson.
Microsoft Corporate VP of Communications Frank Shaw appeared to confirm Courier’s untimely demise in an official statement to the publication.
“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,” said Shaw.
“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.”
Meanwhile, Engadget’s Joshua Topolsky noted it was “hard to kill something” that never lived.
“Well here’s the deal, according to a source familiar with the situation: the Courier did indeed start life as a potential new product category for the company, one which was being incubated internally with very real plans for a marketable device,” wrote Topolsky.
“It seems, however, that things just didn’t manage to take shape, and word was handed down very recently that the incubation period had reached its conclusion – sans product – and resources would be directed elsewhere…[But] the Courier will always remain in our hearts as one of the finest unicorns that ever unicorned across our screens.”
