Microsoft may have inadvertently confirmed the existence of the Courier dual-screen tablet through a post (since edited) at its JobsBlog. In the same breath as it mentioned Internet Explorer 9 and Windows Phone 7, a recruiting pitch from the company mentioned a "Courier digital journal" and linked to a leak on the subject, referring to the supposedly unofficial shots as "exclusive." Others at the company quickly acted on the slip and pulled the segment, declining to comment on the reference.
The mention while accidental supports much of what's known about the device, which so far could be the closest competitor to the iPad in scale, if not necessarily functionality. Leaked documents from Engadget have previously portrayed it as a collaboration tool that would help home users and workers share media, websites and projects between each other through an "infinite journal." It would have a heavy e-reading focus, including its own e-book store, and would use the same basic foundations as Windows Phone 7 to potentially ease multi-platform app development.
The slip also raises questions about the leaks themselves. The wording surrounding the post implied that Microsoft may have knowingly seeded information to preview the Courier early or to gauge interest before it went too far into development. Such leaks aren't unheard of, as many now suspect that Apple has used key newspapers to follow a similar approach, but they would be a rarity for the traditionally very public Microsoft.
Source: electronista
