2010 is shaping up to become the year of the tablet. Micrsoft is about unveil its Apple iPad rival – the Microsoft Courier – and it’s one of the most promising tablets we’ve seen yet. But how do they compare?

The basics
Microsoft’s Courier is a much less conventional device than Apple’s iPad. While the iPad scales-up the experience of the iPhone and iPod Touch to make it a stronger browser and more capable multimedia player, the Microsoft Courier uses a more ambitious form factor – a dual-screen book style layout. Microsoft has dubbed its product a “digital journal” while Apple has always been keen to boast the web browsing skills of the iPad.

Portability
The Microsoft Courier’s folding screens make it a clear winner against the Apple iPad on the portability front. Folded up, the Courier measures approximately 5×7 inches, against the iPad’s 7.5×9.5 inches. Microsoft’s offering still stretches the definition of portability, but even when stashed away in a bag, the protection offered by the fold-up mechanism means the iPad barely puts up a fight. As the latest Apple iPad trailer clearly shows, it’s a device that’s designed for the home rather than for planes, trains and automobiles.
Winner – Microsoft Courier

For movies
Both devices make a good start on the sheer power front as movie-watching machines. The Apple iPad uses a 1GHz Apple chip while the Courier features the powerful Tegra 2 chipset. Both should be able to handle HD video, as long as it’s delivered in the right codec. The Courier slips down though thanks to its dual-screen format. There’s a large expanse between the screens, thanks to the hinge, so you’ll only really want to watch a movie on one of the screens at a time. This entails a lot less screen space than the iPad’s 9.7 inches, not to mention fewer pixels on show. Still, it should beat the iPhone.
Winner – Apple iPad

For games
The Courier runs a similar operating system to the Zune HD and incoming Windows Phones 7 Series devices. This is not a full operating system in purist terms, showing that Microsoft has decided to trade instant functionality for ease of use. Simple games that are suited to the device’s form factor will show up at release, we think, such as Sudoku, crosswords and so on but otherwise the Courier games scene may have to start from scratch. It can’t really compete with the thousands of iPhone games that are already compatible with the iPad. Publishers have started announcing exciting iPad development projects too, so the Courier has a long way to go to catch up with the iPad.
Winner – Apple iPad

For ebooks
Judging ebook functionality is a tricky one. Neither device uses an E-ink screen, used on dedicated ereaders to eliminate eye strain, so we have to judge each on its book store and form factor. Microsoft has planted the Courier’s mission statement right within ebook territory, with its book-like folding screens. Turning pages will still be virtual, but the increased portability of the device works strong in the Courier’s favour for reading on-the-go.

The iPad’s larger screens lends itself to magazine content rather than plain books. Most dedicated ebook readers use 5-6-inch screens, so the iPad is a little on the large side. That said, the Kindle DX uses a similar-sized screen. We’ll have to wait to see exactly how many books are on offer from the off to give a clearer judgement, but for now…
Winner – Microsoft Courier

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