The man who has become known as the father of the Xbox, J Allard, is apparently on sabbatical from Microsoft after the decision to cancel the “Courier Tablet” project. According to whispers that are making the rounds, it is unlikely that Allard will return to the company after his sabbatical.

Our sources suggest that he is apparently considering charting a new course that will not include working for Microsoft. According to what our sources have said to us, Allard was apparently very unhappy with the decision to kill the Courier Tablet project, despite the fact that the project was apparently very close to the final production stage. (The Courier Tablet project was apparently a dual-screen tablet computer, but most of what it actually was is still just rumors, as the project was never officially announced to the press or the public.)

Allard was best known for his role in overseeing the design and development of both the Xbox and Xbox 360 projects. During the Xbox 360 launch and several months after, he became the public face for the console from Microsoft and this was pivotal in helping Microsoft recruit developer support for both platforms. Later, Allard moved away from the Xbox and worked on the development and launch of the Zune products, which despite his guidance have never been as successful as Apple’s iPod product despite several innovative features not offered by the iPod products.

Microsoft is not currently commenting on the future of Allard, but some believe it was none other than Steve Ballmer who pushed Allard out the door after disagreements over the development of the Courier project. If Allard does depart Microsoft, he could prove to be a hot commodity within the industry, and with his success record he could be chased by a number of companies for a variety of positions.