Microsoft-Backed E-Reader Shown Off: Will It Hit Production?

E-readers are nothing new. At this point, they're actually kind of old. And for those who have following their progress, you may remember that Microsoft was reportedly working up a "Courier" project that was eventually scraped altogether. But it seems that Microsoft may not have forgotten completely about their e-reader aspirations.

While the device seen here is certainly no Courier, this e-reader prototype is definitely a looker. The University of Maryland's Nicholas Chen was seen showcasing this device recently at the CHI conference in Vancouver, and according to him, Microsoft is one of the backers.



Now, this doesn't mean that Microsoft has any tangible plans to put this on the market, but it does highlight that Microsoft is still investing in things like this. It's actually quite an interesting design, and could probably rival things like the NOOK and Kindle is marketed properly. Have a look at the video and be your own judge -- is it a keeper? And would it ever be able to run Windows or Windows Phone 7?