Microsoft's Courier Is Already Doomed: A Simple iPad App Shows Why

I'm not a fan of the iPad, but at least it's a real product. Microsoft loves concepts, yet they almost never deliver. They're like an auto company that turns out beautiful concept cars for the trade shows that will never appear in a dealership.

Case in point: over-the-air syncing of contacts and calendars appeared in Microsoft tech demos for at least fifteen years. Yet the company that actually made it happen for me was Apple, with the iPhone and MobileMe. And Microsoft still doesn't have a solution unless you're a suit with an Exchange server back at the office.

Seems a bit early to say anything is doomed by the iPad at this point, let alone a single app on the iPad. The obvious reason why Courier won't be doomed by this is ... you need an iPad, most people in this world aren't going to buy one.

Most won't buy a Courier either but there's plenty of room for both to be independently successful regardless of the other.

Raise of hands of those who like handwriting and drawing notes... with their finger. Yeah, thought so. :-)

Now, that said, people do sell styluses for the iPhone, but good luck writing without touching the rest of your hand to the device.

Now, that said, the author of said note taking app could be smart about detecting pointing vs side-of-hand, but we'll see....

I remember when top-flight venture capitalists were saying Apple's only path to salvation was to adopt the NT kernel, or even to start building Windows machines.

Or when certain tech pundits were crowing about how the Pre and WebOS were about to eat Apple's lunch.

I'm willing to suspend judgment, and I find empty pontification to just be dull.

DOOMED!

Fate, especially a tragic or ruinous one.

doom (dm) n.

1. Inevitable destruction or ruin. 2. Fate, especially a tragic or ruinous one. 3. Judgment Day

hmmm.....

presumptuous at best...

The user interface in that app is terrifying. So many buttons. Looks like a windows app. I hope they polish it a bit and make it more apple-y.

I don't see anything revolutionary about this app at all. All the features shown can already be accomplished by the iphone.