The Apple iPad and Microsoft Courier, two very different concepts in what appears to be a similar class of devices.

What was known to only a few key engineers at Microsoft was leaked earlier this month and referred to as the iPad killer. We now have more information on the Microsoft Courier, and it appears to be a good contender in the emerging segment of tablet devices. But is it a tablet, a digital journal, or a tablet and a digital journal all rolled into one? Perhaps its part of a new segment of devices named Smartbooks. Regardless of what it is, Microsoft is going up against Apple and their latest offering: the iPad.

The Courier is in fact a digital journal and its goal – will wonders never cease – is in fact to make folders and diaries obsolete. If you’re in class or attending a power lunch and even writing down an important individual’s phone number, scribbling on the palm of your hand or a napkin is unnecessary. It looks like paper might just be a thing of the past sooner rather then later. Which is a good thing, because more trees, equals more oxygen for all of us.

This project is not near the manufacturing stage and is the result of two earlier prototypes from underground projects called “Codex” and “InkSeine”. The Courier’s design is quite stunning and compliments the designers at Microsoft. With dual seven inch screens hinged together, it folds just like a book. Rumor has it that the Courier has a built in camera as well, something Apple iPad enthusiasts eagerly anticipated.

All input on the device will be done through a pen stylus, which will allow writing, painting and sketching so you can doodle on the Courier while traveling the subway to your heart’s desire. The pen combined with courier’s hand writing recognition programming architecture, will allow you to write down a note and even type in a URL web address of a site. Where the Apple iPad sits in this department is still unknown, if using any type of stylus it would have to be of the sausage type, as the capacitive touch-screen will not operate with a traditional pen stylus.

Of course the Courier will support Flash, the much desired and unsupported feature Apple has managed to dismiss in the iPad. The debate comes down to whether or not HTML5 will be a worthy alternative to a world dominated by Flash websites and content. With Adobe Air, similar to Flash, standalone applications can be launched from within a device’s operating system. The main reason why the iPad will not have Flash could be as simple as Apple putting up a road block against developers who want to get apps onto the device and bypassing the iTunes store. Flash is known to be a CPU hog, and Apple’s A4 chip may not have the gusto to carry it.

The potential of HTML5 still has not yet been realized. Dynamic websites and content can be made, but its full potential is still 10 or more years away. Video embedding will play a key role in any device, HTML5 will go beyond traditional HTML making embedding videos as simple as inserting images.

But in the end it comes down to the user. What will you be using your smartbook or tablet for? Entertainment? Watching videos, surfing the web? Or will it be more of an interactive tool for organization and note taking. As both devices have different strengths in their own regards, it’s very difficult to compare the two.

Contributing editor: Fabrizio Pilato

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The HTC HD2 will be on T-Mobile USA starting March 24th - Photo: Flickr

Taiwan-based HTC Corporation brought the HD2 to the shores of North America just a few months after it was available in Europe and Hong Kong. An announcement of its unveiling was reported to us for March 16th, that date has come, and the successor to the HTC Touch HD is officially coming to T-Mobile March 24.

With the HTC HD2 being a pioneer of sorts. It was the first Windows Mobile phone with a touch interface and the second smart phone with the 1GHZ Snap Dragon processor, which makes it incredibly fast. The question is why is a smartphone that is known to have a few bugs in it, for starters a camera defect on some units, now a part of T-Mobile’s product line? It hasn’t received an upgrade to Windows Mobile 7 yet. You’re going to have to deal with the older and chunkier Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system perhaps indefinitely.

Some companies expand their product mix downwards wanting a share of middle income consumers that will buy the new phone. Not too different from Marriott’s more “affordable” line of Hotels. Not every phone on the market can be a Nexus One.

But HTC HD2 cannot be denied one compliment, and that being it is one handsome looking smart phone. This is what makes it a Shakespearean tragedy. All the personality in the world with its specimen of glass, plastic and aluminum surface but doomed because of its lack of OS updates. It’s quite a large one too, and you’re most definitely going to need both hands free while operating it – keeping your coffee hand a little busier than usual.

T-Mobile just announced pricing and a release date (March 24th), it comes with a charger, micro USB cable, headset and memory card, and at $200 (on a two-year plan) the HD2 might be your phone of choice. But different strokes for different folks. If the HTC Sense user interface is what you’re after this could be your phone, and that alone might just make it an enjoyable experience for you.

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Microsoft announced the Windows Phone Application Platform at MIX10.

Why build applications when you’ve built the platform for the application? Developers will get 70 percent of each application sale and Microsoft 30 percent according to Microsoft’s announcement Monday, including a Windows Phone 7 application store and user interface.

At MIX 2010 Microsoft made it very clear what tools developers would need to start building for Windows Phone 7. With leaked information posted awhile back, it comes as no surprise that the application development will in fact be done in Silverlight and game development in XNA.

Here’s what’s interesting as far as game development is concerned – XNA is a cross-platform development environment much like Java. Development in XNA gives game developers the chance to develop games for all the Microsoft platforms such as Windows 7, XP, Vista and the king of the hill: the mighty XBox.

For application development, Microsoft is offering Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Express for Microsoft Windows Phone 7 and an emulator for Windows Phone 7 application testing. “Our focus is on making the tools friction-free for developers to get in as easily as possible,” said Charlie Kindel, manager of Microsoft’s Windows Phone App Platform.

Like Apple and Google, Microsoft has also thrown their hat into the ring and launched an application store called Windows Phone Marketplace. The marketplace won’t be empty at launch because Microsoft has a list of impressive development partners such as EA, Foursquare, Namco and Sling to name just a few.  But it will indeed be a closed system, similar to Apple’s iTunes App store, being the only vehicle where the end-user can download software to their smartphone.

What does make this phone system unique and stand out from the pack is the user interface that combines and organizes applications and multimedia into Hubs, thus making it the first hub-based phone.

By giving developers the Windows Phone 7 platform a large slice of the action and the keys to the construction vehicle, is a calculated strategy. Microsoft like any company launching its ship out to sea to face many perils in the vast ocean knows this. They want a successful voyage in the computing ocean. Safeguarding their phone from sinking like the Titanic is always a good strategy too.

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Concept: Video chat will not be possible on the cameraless Apple iPad

With about two weeks before the Apple iPad is in our hands, one feels like a Nasa scientist waiting for the Apollo rocket to take off. It’s a nail biting and nervous moment for everyone at Apple, waiting for the iPad to either soar into the stratosphere or crash and burn.

If you’ve been following our series of features on the iPad (If you haven’t then you should catch up) you would know that the iPad has been under a host of controversy and bad press from rivals and application developers alike.

Whereas the iPad is cleverly being marketed as a unique device superior in software and hardware when compared to rival products. Media has not blocked it from being compared to e-readers, tablet pc’s and notebooks. That is quite a derogatory comparison to say the least.

Before we get down to the iPad’s disappointing aspects let’s focus on what makes the iPad a unique blend of Apple innovation and modern computing technology, and not just an oversized iPhone.   It does have a smartphone similar instant ‘on’ feature, a blazing fast processor, a multi-touch screen and most impressively, a gigantic, gluttonous library of over 150,000 applications. This may make it the tablet of choice for business and non-business people slicing into the notebook market as well, but some crucial things are lacking which would be otherwise commony features many business users are used to having.

What the iPad is missing: it does not have expandable memory. You cannot expand a 16 GB iPad to the larger 64 GB or even the middle tier 32 GB.  The lack of a USB port has to be it’s biggest design boo-boo. It is inexcusable to not have a USB port in this day and age on any device.  A device like the Addonics could allow for easy access to thumbdrives and network printers, but that would only be an at home solution, not something we could access anywhere and everywhere.

The lack of a camera is quite tragic! A device that sits on your lap and faces you head on, with a wireless network connection too.  How could this not have a camera?

The operating system that powers the iPad is not up to task in the multi-tasking department. Some applications can utilize the operating systems’ multi-tasking features, some cannot. Talk about blatant discrimination! It’s no wonder developers feel hot and bothered about developing applications for the iPad.

You’re also lumped with Apple’s Safari browser. It’s an amazing browser don’t get me wrong, but Firefox, Chrome, and Opera are quite respectable contenders, and Safari is not always at the top of everyones list.  And what are the majority of web based tools built with? Well you get the swf.

Apple iPad with multiple views

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All hail king Android

Early in the mid-70’s the first Apple computer was nothing more than a motherboard designed by co-founder Steve Wozniak. Hardly a personal computer. Apple was a rising underdog competing against IBM in the personal computing market. How times have changed!

Remembering Apple’s 1984 TV commercial. Apple was always anti-establishment struggling to bring down Big Brother (Big Blue) and spread originality of thought and defy the computing conformity.

How far the apple has fallen from the tree! The roles are now reversed and it’s Google that is the underdog trying to break Apple’s Big Brotheresque dominion over the mobile computing industry.

Steve Jobs’ business tactics are “Machiavellian” in nature. A leaked legal document distributed by the digital freedom crusaders EFF, discovered the legal red tape (pdf link) Apple binds its iPhone developers by. Truly draconian in nature the contractual documentation that Apple uses with developers for its systems allows it to reject any application developed even if the application meets the iPhone’s requirements.

“You may not issue any press releases or make any other public statements regarding this Agreement, its terms and conditions, or the relationship of the parties without Apple’s express prior written approval, which may be withheld at Apple’s discretion.”

Absolutely no reverse engineering for the iPhone’s operating system, nor any reverse engineering for the iPhone software development kit is permitted. Apple can also cease to support your application at anytime from their App Store for no reason whatsoever.

It’s no prophetic revelation that Apple’s upcoming iPad, current iPhone and iPod Touch, are what is referred to as closed systems, in which programming routines are kept secret from third party developers. Apple’s legal contracts with developers proves how closed those systems are. In fact Apple is so petrified of unauthorized code running on its iPhone (referred to as jail-breaking) that it has notified the US copyright office that jail-breaking should be illegal and consequences need be put in to place for it. What an assault on the open source community.

However, this is in stark contrast to Google’s App Marketplace which is supported by cloud computing architecture – a simply amazing idea, where developers are encouraged to create applications for Google’s products and unleash them on the community, a much more democratic process. Allowing the end-user to decide. Developers pay a flat one hundred dollar fee to write an application for the marketplace, in exchange they get 25 % revenue on sales for each application sold, and access to it’s 25 million user-base.

It’s really that simple. Create an application, send it on to the marketplace, once approved buyers can add them to their Google accounts. All these great applications can be triggered and started within your e-mail, like YouTube videos or even payroll software because they are all embedded within your mail, accessible in the cloud’s immense pool of resources. Google is offering developers the chance to set apps to be triggered by certain emails, events, or specific types of content.

While Apple emanates the Roman Empire. Rome started to decline as soon as it refused help from Germanic mercenaries. Which led to the mercenaries revolting and deposing Emperor Augustus. Apple may find that the developers may revolt and stop developing for their products by becoming more Google-centric.

Google may find itself building an Empire from Apple’s ashes. History is full of examples of proud computing companies that fell and are no more, just like IBM’s personal computing division once was mighty but now humbled. But with Apple’s current marketshare and customer loyalty, it’s a far fetched scenario that would make for a dream in Android-land.

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