Microsoft Patent Reveals Weird Touch Keyboard Layout For Slate PCs

While the Courier might’ve been killed, it keeps appearing as a ghost in Microsoft’s patent applications. The latest one is a very iPad like slate/tablet PC. Most devices today replicate the qwerty keyboard but here’s an alternative approach which I’m not sure is very intuitive. The benefit according to the patent application title – it does not require a stylus! Here’s what the patent proposes:

PS: Swype over this?