There've been questions as to whether Courier is a software platform—meaning another manufacturer would make the actual hardware—or whether Microsoft will pull a Zune/Xbox 360. Mary Jo's sources say it's the latter (which makes sense, given that it's supposedly J. Allard's baby). But, Courier did actually start life as a "as a software idea on how one would really build OneNote from scratch if you could for the Tablet form factor. That then morphed into building a tablet."

So far, they're aiming for a "mid-2010" delivery, since it's further along than a Microsoft Research project, but not quite in the commercial pipe yet. Which puts it right in the Apple tablet's purported path. Oh, 2010 is going to rock. [ZDNet]

Courier is a real device, and we've heard that it's in the "late prototype" stage of development. It's not a tablet, it's a booklet. The dual 7-inch (or so) screens are multitouch, and designed for writing, flicking and drawing with a stylus, in addition to fingers. They're connected by a hinge that holds a single iPhone-esque home button. Statuses, like wireless signal and battery life, are displayed along the rim of one of the screens. On the back cover is a camera, and it might charge through an inductive pad, like the Palm Touchstone charging dock for Pre.

Until recently, it was a skunkworks project deep inside Microsoft, only known to the few engineers and executives working on it—Microsoft's brightest, like Entertainment & Devices tech chief and user-experience wizard J. Allard, who's spearheading the project. Currently, Courier appears to be at a stage where Microsoft is developing the user experience and showing design concepts to outside agencies.

Microsoft has a history of collaborating with other firms, especially in the E&D division: Zune and Xbox have both gone through similar design processes. (And plans for the Microsoft Store leaked through a third-party agency were confirmed as genuine prototype layouts and concepts.) This video is branded Pioneer Studios, a Microsoft division within E&D that specializes in this kind of work, working with another agency that's a long-time Microsoft collaborator on confidential projects.

The Courier user experience presented here is almost the exact opposite of what everyone expects the Apple tablet to be, a kung fu eagle claw to Apple's tiger style. It's complex: Two screens, a mashup of a pen-dominated interface with several types of multitouch finger gestures, and multiple graphically complex themes, modes and applications. (Our favorite UI bit? The hinge doubles as a "pocket" to hold items you want move from one page to another.) Microsoft's tablet heritage is digital ink-oriented, and this interface, while unlike anything we've seen before, clearly draws from that, its work with the Surface touch computer and even the Zune HD.

Over the next couple days we'll be diving much, much deeper into Courier, so stay tuned.

From the application:

The [wand's] architecture can utilize one or more sensor from a collection of sensors to determine an orientation or gesture in connection with the wand, and can further issue an instruction to update a state of an environmental component based upon the orientation.

So it's a motion sensing controller, much like Nintendo's, except in the form of a wand. Also mentioned are possible "biometrics" features, but it's not totally clear what that is supposed to mean.

That Microsoft is working on a motion-sensing controller isn't a surprise—it's that they're interested in this particular kind. Recent rumors point persuasively to the possibility that Microsoft will debut a motion accessory at E3 in June, but they've emphasized Microsoft's acquisition of ZCam, makers of a camera-based controller system that operates in a different manner to that described in this patent.

Crucially, though, this patent was filed in 2007—probably before Microsoft had a coherent plan for a motion-sensing controller, and months before they purchased ZCam. Heading into E3 and assuming that Microsoft is working on a motion controller at all, then, we now have a few healthy possibilities. [Techflash]

Even though the Zune and Xbox product brands are separate, they are ultimately meant to connect to the same central network. The online services for Xbox, Zune and future products will merge. Video will be a key part of this service.

"Fast forward a little bit," and there'll be an all-in-one setup stratified "like DirecTV," where there's a "basic, there is enhanced, there is movie pack and NFL Sunday ticket," so it's like Xbox Live Gold and Silver, but with more customization. Customization, in fact, appears to be a core selling point of the service.

Maybe the J in J. Allard stands for Jesus:

What I want to do at E&D [the entertainment and devices division] is build an entertainment service that can connect, that has a screen and buttons and a speaker, so you can watch what you want, where you want, how you want. Maybe you are a commuter, and what you are all about is ESPN. I'll give you ESPN your way.

But as much forward looking as Allard did during the interview, he also took a look back, to the early days of Zune:

I'm a big believer in failing fast... If we skipped last year, we would have never come out with the product we did this year... We learned that because of the shortfalls in the PC client [software], the device was less useful... People hated that there was no podcasts, that they couldn't fill their cultural cache [the Zune] with the stuff that was meaningful to them.

A cellphone operator is not best positioned to decide how to lay out a menu. I think the iPhone came out and showed people a great experience, and in some ways got everybody to check their ego at the door.

What you will see from us is more of these signature experiences. When you see the Zune, you'll say say, I want my music experience on the phone to be like that. Hey, I want my telecommunication experience on the phone to be more like that.

J's been working on the Zune in the States, but his first love is still the Xbox 360. Bodyguard, shmodyguard. Nobody can resist the combination of Ashcraft and McWhertor, two guys I still can't tell apart. – Jason Chen

TGS06: Where Is Our J? [Kotaku]

But we only had a few minutes, and decided to squeeze some more Zune info out of him, including well as the choice quote we've put in the headline. (We're no newspaper jerks, so I'll tell you he didn't mean it in a bad way.) Man, is that guy good at doing the hypnotic PR speak. The uncrackable egg! Here's the transcript, minus the fluff:

Giz: Why should iPod users switch to a Zune?
J Allard:The wrong consumer to start with is...

(Jump!)

the one who says "You'll take my ipod from my cold clammy hands."
People love their social networks, though. If they're over email, IM, or on the web, it's integrated into their lives. We want to bring that to portable music. Digital music is far front done. Ipod is the Pong of digital music. Let's take it to the next level. And connected is what its all about.

The other thing is video. It's a much more inclusive part of people's life. Especially tail end video [referring to Wired and Chris Anderson's Long Tail theories]. How do we bring that to pockets? Oh yes: People said we want a bigger screen [than the ipod].

Giz: OK, if I'm using a Zune, am I really going to troll Wifi for other people's music? What is that going to do for battery life?
J Allard:It's a tough problem, and we're not done with it yet. What we have is different power modes. Oversimplifying, we have a beacon mode that says "I'm around." The next level that uses more power says "hey, I want to do something, and share, whether that's music, photos."

Giz: I heard you're a Snowcrash fan. You're obviously inspired by Sci Fi. Any other concepts from author Neal Stephenson's books that you'd like to see implemented at any point in zune?
J Allard:The metaverse is far from being built. The opportunity for connected communities in games, music has a long way to go.
Sure, new Zune devices will come. They'll be fun, they'll be exciting. But like Xbox, we're going to keep adding features to the core idea. We're just scratching the surface with the WiFi and peer-to-peer connectivity. Put WiFi in, start with one or two scenarios that users will understand. A few times a year, we'll update the firmware, and let consumers do new and exciting things.

Giz: You have a track record for Cool at Microsoft. And the Kotaku guys, they practically stalk you. So, indulge us with some fantasies. Suppose you're in charge of the company. What would you do differently.

J Allard:I wouldn't change much. There are already bright, passionate people at Microsoft who understand digital music, and games, and who are tired of seeing complacency...Maybe I'd hire a bodyguard. The Kotaku stalking thing is kind of creepy.

J Allard is a big shot at Microsoft, with the official title of "Corporate Vice President and Chief XNA Architect." To us, he's the guy that woke up Microsoft to things like, um, the INTERNET. And the man who convinced Billy G. to go ahead with the Xbox. Here's a great profile of him, from Wired.