Rumor: J Allard leaving Microsoft due to Courier cancellation

O please, i never said the courier was a bad device.

But microsoft spends tons on R&D and not everything is made.

His work wasn't pointless and it would have most likely popped up in other amazing devices.

If Microsoft refuses to compete, refuses to adapt, refuses to update their business models, then why stay?

If true, this seems like the last straw since the Courier was given very good previews and it had a chance of creating its own niche and there is no real replacement for it.

They continually screw up with the Zune (While the HD is very nice, it's just a stepping stone in the scheme of things) and they continually screw up new projects.

As far as I can tell, Microsoft has a different kind of arrogance than Apple, but it's self destructing all the same in the long run and very annoying for the consumer.

Aside from not letting the Zune be read by ANY device like most MP3 players, and not releasing it globally...yet....how have they messed up with the Zune?

I don't really see what you are talking about.

The 360 is great atm, although beginning to show it's age (maybe).

I love my zune (just a 8gb but still) and from what i can see, the HD is also pretty good.

Microsoft has blown the world away with windows 7, etc.

Windows phone 7 is coming out, and it also looks like it is going to mix things up a bit.

Stop crying because something like this was cancelled, the tech will live on in future devices.

The courier, while nice, is just as odd as the iPad, and if anything would not have been marketed as a normal consumer device, it imo, was just a wacom tablet on steroids (cool, but not practical at all for the everday consumer).

get over it.

Going all ape shit on microsoft over this, is so stupid.

Also, the previews you saw was of expectations for the device, you were never seeing an actual item being used, it was all just concept.

And it wasn't even new to the courier, Microsoft's desktop table is where most of those ideas came from, whether you know it or not.

Also, i don't even know why you brought apple into this.

Parts of the Courier are actually already seen in other Microsoft Devices. The Kin "Spot" concept, is exactly the same as the Courier's ability to save objects placed inside the middle of the two screens.

I don't know how successful the Courier would be however, as it seemed to be aimed at a niche crowd, unlike the iPad.

@Chris, he is just a raging wierdo who has no idea what he is talking about, seriously.

Exactly finn, people are making it seem like microsoft is killing everything about the device.

The only thing interesting about the courier was the software, which is not unique to it, and will be implemented in other microsoft products.

Such as Natal, windows 7 phone, and obviously into touchscreen windows 7 PCs.

Raging weirdo? Really Brian?

You of all people calling someone else that?

I'm sorry that trying to talk with logic instead of "omg so terrible, omg MS you suckorz ballz", is considered raging and weird.

I wouldn't say he is a raging weirdo, but if his reasons are the ones I named then I wouldn't say he is right, as those are the MAIN reason's the Zune hasn't taken off.....but sine Every WinPho7 will TECHNICALLY be a Zune then my guess is by this time next year MS will be touting "10 million Zunes sold"

people on this sight can be so one minded.

spelling fail.

Again, it's about the future. Microsoft releases nice products but they haven't been revolutionary or breaking any boundaries.

I don't see how I'm raging for calmly stating that the times are changing. Don't people notice the internet is a lot less patient and more angry than it has been in the past? Consumers are expecting a lot more than just remedial updates. It's going to catch up with companies soon enough.

I don't need to defend my position purely because it's SPECULATION. I'm not a board member, and I don't pledge allegiance to any company enough to run my mouth off over it.

But face it, the Zune is a media player for music and movies. I love mine, but it lacks apps, and as much I hate to say it since I don't care for them... it needs them since that's what people expect. It's not that successful outside the niche market and if you heard anything about the next Zune you'd understand what I meant about it being a mere stepping stone.

The 360? Seriously? What real competition does it have? Classically speaking. It's a great success for them and a good piece of hardware but there is not competition like previous consoles had. It's always been in a price range of its own until recently when it reached Wii levels and the Wii isn't garnered for the same market, there's only slight crossover. The PS3 has always been priced a "luxury" item and made for a different market. So, I mean fanboyism and stupidity aside AKA logically, it has no classic market competition.
So, let's say things change next gen and the consoles are priced closer and have closer features like the past gens, is Microsoft really going to be on top, especially if they think they don't have to push too hard? Time will tell, but I know they won't slack in that department since it was a hard earned battle to break into it and be on top. It's about corporate Attitude, look what happened to Nintendo before the WIi and Sony after the PS3.

Anyways, I did what I said I wouldn't, but if people like Apple's attitude and elitism (Im not talking about I'm a Mac type stuff either) their business model of incremental updates to current hardware, never future, then power to you guys. I expect more from companies that can develop better stuff instead of charging 100s of dollars more simply for 10s of dollars worth of memory. If I were rich, what'd I care, but hey I expect more for my buck.

So, really, just think logically about everything and while I'm no wizard and my position is full of holes there's logic, if not faulty, behind everything and it is a POSSIBILITY. No one would have predicted Nintendo's or Sony's fall at the height of their success.


How this got into a conversation about someone leaving a job is beyond me.

Has Allard ever headed a project that actually *became a profitable product*???

The sad truth of the matter is Allard's work has had a net result of billions of dollars - IN THE RED. When everything you touch loses money, one would expect a parting of ways to be inevitable. Especially when the amount of money is so staggering.

(And for those who will shout "Xbox now makes money!" the simple response is "Xbox is still *billions* in the hole.")

Can you lot stop voting him down, I can't even read it now, geezus, can anyone even read them now to vote them down?

Stop making the act of voting into a meme or some nerd fascist exercise.

what in the BLUE FCUK are you talking about?

Oh shi-

That's an image I tried so desperately to get rid of, but you...you sir, it's back to haunt me.

What's that fat guy from The Office doing in that picture?

Holy crap, what a transformation. I'd nearly forgotten.

He a real gangsta now!

It says a lot about owning your baldness and wearing a good suit.

I see that he's posing with the original Xbox controller prototype.

They never released the prototype cause he ate it.

This may have just been the straw that broke the camel's back. For all we know, there could have been tons of cool experience-y things that MS had in the oven that got shot down for this reason and that reason, and J just felt that he couldn't work there anymore and still achieve his vision.

put the ipad to shame? i think the ipad puts the ipad to shame

I think the iPad's price puts the iPad to shame.

"The iPad puts the iPad to shame."

http://www.linkive.com/home/browser/MTAxNTkw/Technology/Apple%20iPad%20Funny%20Pictures

Say what you will about the iPad, it made it to market (unlike the vaunted Courier or Slate) and is selling like crazy now.

of course it sells millions, because everyone thinks it actually is worth something, maybe if it had better chips it would be good, but right now, even the zune HD beats it in most areas

Apple fans would buy apple branded bags of dog shit if they were sold.

Had this been an Apple product that got canceled, we would have never known about it. Another reason why I like the Apple marking machine. They dont announce things until they are finished and ready to ship.

Now Microsoft seems weak and scarred to go to market. Stock drops, and people see their true colors.

Say what you will about the iPad but it's selling well and though I couldn't swallow the cost on the first one, the next one should have a front facing camera and then I will buy it (plus multitasking come November through the OS update).

Microsoft needed the courier because it would have made them relevant in the innovation space again. They are still playing catchup to everyone and the last big thing they did was XBOX live but you can't ride the innovation train on something from 5 years ago. Windows 7 is great but it only makes up for the disaster that was Vista. I was actually genuinely interested in the courier but why it was killed is beyond me. Large and older companies are not good for innovation in general as the bloat tends to slow everything down. Established culture, responsibilities to shareholders and other factors curtail the ability for these companies to take big risks and that is why you get yearly upgrades and features from competitors are copied/modified and added to existing products.

I've always thought JJ was the best person at MS to represent the 360. Hope he stays but one can only take so much stupidity I guess.

Early complaints of Squircles and Brown Gadgetry had already flooded his inbox when this picture was taken.

because kotick was at that meeting

they never showed actual videos, if i remember correctly, they were just showing how the ui would have worked.

I don't think they actually had a functioning physical item.

All prototype, not even close to production.