Confirmed: Microsoft is working on a tablet device

The rumors are true: Microsoft is indeed developing a tablet-style device, though it is closer to a book in design. However, the “Courier” is still at a prototype stage and there is no guarantee it will ever be released.

The first pictures of the device (including the one shown above) were leaked to the Gizmodo website, which also has a video of the Courier. It reports that the device flips open like a book, giving two 7” touchscreens, with users able to choose between using their fingers and a stylus.

The device does include a camera on the back cover. There’s no word on the technical side of its WiFi capability, though the video does show a user viewing websites and it would certainly be surprising for a portable device not to feature an internet connection.

There are a couple of other possible uses for a device of this design which aren’t mentioned in the leaked material. The twin screens mean it could be set-up so that users can turn it sideways and use the lower screen as a touchscreen keypad, effectively making it a mini-netbook if it can run web-based applications. And the hinge design means it could potentially function as an electronic reader if Microsoft wants to get into that market.

Gizmodo describes Courier as a skunkworks project, a term usually used to refer to a small team working outside of the normal development process, the idea being that cutting back on the bureaucracy allows them to concentrate on innovation.

While Gizmodo describes the device as being in the “late prototype” stage, that doesn’t mean a release is imminent. It’s tough to tell for certain, but the images may be computer-generated demonstrations rather than photographs of a working model. The Wall Street Journal says its sources, apparently Microsoft insiders, say the device certainly won’t feature in the company’s demonstrations and announcements at next January’s Consumer Entertainment Show, a traditional venue for unveiling major consumer devices.

If Microsoft does wind up releasing such a device, it could be in competition with Apple which has long been rumored to be working on its own tablet.

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