Gadgets Pure Pink Turtle Tablets - Microsoft Goes Psychedelic
By Jay GarrettHello Gadgety fans!
Since my last post I’ve witnessed a kettle from Bugatti, seen Apple TV prices cut and the 40GB version trashed, an iPod being controlled by a magic wand.
Speaking of magic: There’s also a tiny hand-held printer that seems to print by pure magic and a light that is actually powered by blood!
I am not ashamed to say that I have been tempted over to the Apply side of things. I ‘heart’ my iPhone and have stroked many a MacBook thinking that, one day, I may actually make a purchase.
Thing is – I am a PC.
So; to readdress the balance of my many articles about iPods, iTunes, iPhones and the appstore – here’s some Microsoft flavoured news.
It’s been a while since any noise has escaped from Microsoft Pink-land but the Redmond HQ has been letting slip that it will be busting out a pair of smartphones, with the help of subsidiary – Danger.
This means that instead of the HTC gear that was originally hinted at the hardware will be thanks to Sharp – Both phones could be branded as “Microsoft+Sharp” and are named, for now, Turtle and Pure.
Body-wise you may notice that the phones look familiar. The Moto/Palm styled ‘Turtle’ and the ‘Pure’ is the one that appears to share heritage with the Google G1.
As already stated both handsets will be made by Sharp who, incidentally, also makes the hardware for the Sidekick handset.
The phones seem to have a focus on the ‘youth’ market (more Sidekick leanings) and there are whispers of a related app store and that Zune functionality.
Thing is – the Sidekick is more popular stateside and Microsoft has said a huge no to the Zune coming to the UK.
As well as the phones there’s news of Microsoft’s tablet: Named ‘Courier UX – and it has featured in an image outing.
It hasn’t been confirmed (or denied for that matter) but word is that the leaked images and details of the Courier UX are genuine.
More tantalizingly it sounds like the device has entered the latter stages of prototype development.
The pics and video (yeah – moving pictures exist for the Courier UX!) show a book-like system that uses two touch screens, kinda like the EeeReader.
Both screens can be poked and stroked by finger or stylus and there’s even a 3-megapixel camera on the back.
It’s all very groovy but the thing that had me slightly confused is that apparently it isn’t a Windows 7 lump of tech.
Then all became clear – I was looking at it all wrong.
I should’ve been looking at the Microsoft Courier UX as a small Surface device.
The OS indeed resembles the Surface operating system with the added bonus of mobile niceties such as maps and internetweb.
Microsoft has been busy yeah? Although it seems like their security hasn’t been ;)
Body-wise you may notice that the phones look familiar. The Moto/Palm styled ‘Turtle’ and the ‘Pure’ is the one that appears to share heritage with the Google G1.
As already stated both handsets will be made by Sharp who, incidentally, also makes the hardware for the Sidekick handset.
The phones seem to have a focus on the ‘youth’ market (more Sidekick leanings) and there are whispers of a related app store and that Zune functionality.
Thing is – the Sidekick is more popular stateside and Microsoft has said a huge no to the Zune coming to the UK.
As well as the phones there’s news of Microsoft’s tablet: Named ‘Courier UX – and it has featured in an image outing.
It hasn’t been confirmed (or denied for that matter) but word is that the leaked images and details of the Courier UX are genuine.
More tantalizingly it sounds like the device has entered the latter stages of prototype development.
The pics and video (yeah – moving pictures exist for the Courier UX!) show a book-like system that uses two touch screens, kinda like the EeeReader.
Both screens can be poked and stroked by finger or stylus and there’s even a 3-megapixel camera on the back.
It’s all very groovy but the thing that had me slightly confused is that apparently it isn’t a Windows 7 lump of tech.
Then all became clear – I was looking at it all wrong.
I should’ve been looking at the Microsoft Courier UX as a small Surface device.
The OS indeed resembles the Surface operating system with the added bonus of mobile niceties such as maps and internetweb.
Microsoft has been busy yeah? Although it seems like their security hasn’t been ;)
