According to a recent report on tech blog Gizmodo, the supposed prototype Microsoft tablet ‘Courier’ – a demo video of which was leaked by Gizmodo in September last year – will apparently not see the light of the day!

The fact that Microsoft has decided to shelve the Courier tablet project will disappoint many industry observers – more so because “on paper” the device showed enough potential to create notable ripples in the emerging tablet computer market.

Going by Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices division’s leaked promotional video of Courier tablet, the somewhat journal-like device appeared to be a perfect one for users on the move – easy to carry around, and convenient for jotting down notes, and saving images. Featuring a two-tone interface of touch and stylus actions, the Courier ran new software that hadn’t the remotest resemblance to Windows.

Even though Microsoft never officially confirmed the Courier tablet, there were speculations galore that the device would essentially be a fully-updated, literal re-imagining of the “personal digital assistant” model.

Confirming the termination of the courier project, Frank Shaw - Corporate VP of communications at Microsoft, said: “It's in our DNA to develop new form factors and natural user interfaces to foster productivity and creativity. The Courier project is an example of this type of effort. It will be evaluated for use in future offerings, but we have no plans to build such a device at this time.