Skip to content
  • Home
  • Fussy Vegetarian
  • Email Newsletter
  • Created by Manan
Copyright Being Manan 2025
Theme by ThemeinProgress
Proudly powered by WordPress
  • Home
  • Fussy Vegetarian
  • Email Newsletter
  • Created by Manan
Being MananManan reviews tech and gadgets
  • You are here :
  • Home
  • Gadgets ,
  • Microsoft
  • Microsoft’s Tablet PC Prototype In Action! [Images & Video]
Gadgets . Microsoft

Microsoft’s Tablet PC Prototype In Action! [Images & Video]

September 23, 2009

The rumor mills are rolling with Microsoft’s foray into the Tablet PC race ever since Apple’s been said to be doing one. Bill Gates has been one of the strongest advocates of Tablet computing and it doesn’t surprise me that there were initial research prototypes of Tablet PCs. Gizmodo has done a scoop that shows Microsoft’s Tablet PC concept known as ‘Courier’.

The internal research project and the device was/is known as ‘Codex’ and not ‘Courier’. Here are some juicy details like hardware specs & images of the prototype:

First up the images:

Now for some tech specs:

So here’s what to expect:

Size: ~ 4”x6”

Dual screen

The orientation or the way in which this Tablet will be used is pretty much like a notebook and hence there are postures in which the device can be held or used. Here are some of the ‘postures’ that have been considered:

The  folding  form-factor of  the Codex enables allows each  screen  to  be  viewed  by  a  separate  user. The Battleship,  Face-to-Face,  and  Corner-to-Corner  postures are  the  three primary  collaborative postures of  the Codex.

Automatic Posture Sensing & Manual Posture

The Codex software:

The Codex  software  is  based  on  the  InkSeine  note-taking application,  which  provides  a  core  set  of  inking, searching,  and  information  gathering  functionality  that  is critical to the Codex as a pen-operated tool for sensemaking tasks.

The  Codex  software  adds support  for  sensing  postures,  network  synchronization  of user interface actions, and dual-screen operations.

Sensors:

The three-axis  accelerometers to determine  the orientation of  the  device  relative  to  gravity, the  angle between  faces.  A  strategically  placed  microswitch  senses detachment  of  each  screen.

Taking down notes and quick thoughts is a ‘key individual task’ for the developers.

Core Dual-Screen Interactions

Synchronized Clipboards and Tool Modes

The  clipboards of  each  screen’s  notebook  application  are synchronized by default, so that the user can copy and paste objects  across  screens.

Tool  modes (i.e.  lasso  selection, pen, highlighter, or eraser) are also synchronized so that the pen  applies  the  same  tool  regardless  of  which  screen  the user  writes  on. During  collaboration,  the screens maintain independent clipboards and tool modes so that the users do not interfere with each others’ actions.

Here is a 5 minute video of Codex – the dual screen Tablet of Microsoft being demoed and used:

http://blip.tv/file/get/IMav-MicrosoftTabletPrototype258.flv

Here is an article by the team behind Codex.

~Enjoy

You may also like

My HomeKit Home

Firewalla: A home firewall that everyone can use

Unboxing, Walkthrough and Initial Thoughts on the PlayStation Portal

Travel Gadgets I Carry on the Road

Desk Cable Management: Master Guide for a Functional Desk

One Dock to Power the Work from Home Setup

Related

Tags: codex, courier, microsoft research, microsoft tablet pc, tablet PC

Me

Hi, I’m Manan and here I write about gadgets and technology. Find me on Twitter or Mastodon and my stream on Twitch. Get updates over email. Or grab the RSS.

Ad

Ad

Copyright Being Manan 2025 | Theme by ThemeinProgress | Proudly powered by WordPress