I know the iPad 3G launch and the cancellation of at least two Windows 7 tablets in the same week is likely just a coincidence, but it’s hard to shut out the voice telling me the news might be related.

You might remember Microsoft’s Courier, the dual-screen tablet that could fold like a book and had an amazing demo video. It’s dead, folks. Done. Microsoft said the project would no longer be supported. Alongside that bit of bad news comes word that HP is canceling its Windows 7 tablet, the same tablet Steve Ballmer debuted at CES 2010. HP is reportedly displeased with Windows 7 as a tablet platform and will be moving to Google products.

The HP cancellation is the big news of the two. Dropping Microsoft for Google’s cloud operating system is a first for big manufacturers, and it points to a growing sentiment in the development community. The world wants simple products, and while some might decry iPhone OS and its relative lack of features, no one can deny its success. For the average consumer, Windows just doesn’t make much sense.

Mum’s not always the best word when it comes to gadgets. Sometimes it can be better for companies to leak information little by little to generate a little excitement and anticipation for a product. That’s never really been Apple’s SOP, but they will occasionally announce products way ahead of schedule. With the rumored Apple tablet, though, the company’s been quiet, and Microsoft just might be positioned to take advantage of the silence.

Today Gizmodo leaked the first news of a Microsoft tablet called “Courier.” It’s a dual-touchscreen device that uses a blend of gestures and a stylus for control. The whole thing is built like a notebook, you know, the paper kind, with a camera on the backend. Gizmodo even has a video to make the thing look much cooler than it actually is.

I’m pretty skeptical about the whole situation. First, the Giz article was written under the byline “The Paperboy,” which, if you read Gizmodo, you’ll recognize is not a regular contributor. There’s also the fact that no one else seemed to get the exclusive news + video (also granted, it was shown at the Gizmodo Gallery), and frankly, the video looks too good to be true. Granted, the whole thing is shot around the alluring concept of being a young design professional. The controls are clean, if a little complicated at times, and show plenty of eye-candy, but that’s how almost every device video comes off. As one Giz commenter reminded me, even the HP TouchSmart looked great over video. It turned out to be a terribly limited platform with somewhat clunky controls.

Gizmodo promises more in-depth coverage on the device as the week goes on. I’ll wait to pass more judgment until I see a hands-on. For now, I think Microsoft is doing something really smart here. Nothing like imprinting the way a tablet “should work” into consumers minds to generate buzz. Apple’s device will have to be truly fantastic to get attention after this.