iPad Archenemy Courier Tablet Confirmed by Microsoft

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Last time we reported on Microsoft’s Courier tablet, we were pretty disappointed still not to see the device get official. But we did hear that the Courier is getting ready for a late 2010 release. Today we can confirm its existence thanks to a job posted by Microsoft.

The HP Slate is, at least until know, the designated iPad contender. I would have expected to witness a battle between giants Microsoft and Apple since CES 2010. But Steve Ballmer did not reveal the Courier back then while Apple waited only until later in January to launch the iPad.

And now, while the iPad is on track for an April 3rd release the Courier is still nowhere to be seen unless you’re looking for a job with Microsoft. Here’s what the ad says:

Do you already know everything about Project Natal and the Cloud? Is Blaise Aguera y Arcas’ jaw-dropping TED talk on augmented-reality Bing Maps and Photosynth last month’s news? Then check out some of the online chatter surrounding new releases of Window Phone 7 series handsets, Internet Explorer 9 and the upcoming Courier digital journal.

That’s a pretty strange choice of words which doesn’t reveal all that much about the upcoming Microsoft tablet or about the actual position for which Redmond is hiring. But isn’t it a little too late to hire people for working on the Courier? When will the device hit the market, in two years from now?

We don’t want to see Microsoft repeat their Windows Phone 7 mistake. Had the new mobile OS arrive to the mobile scene at least a year ago, we might have witnessed a totally different mobile environment right now.

On the other hand, if it takes longer to make a device that can offer you a large touchscreen display, a fast processor, a full OS that can multitask easily and a dependable battery, then we shall wait for the Courier. But that doesn’t mean we won’t get iPads and/or HP Slates until the Courier hits stores!

Picture from Engadget