Microsoft To Launch 'iPad Killer' Tablets At CES

Information Week ^ | 2010-12-14 | Paul McDougall

[dayglored]

Report says Redmond will finally get around to shipping devices that can compete with Apple's slate and Android-based devices.

Microsoft plans to introduce a range of new tablets powered by its Windows 7 operating system at January's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, according to a published report.

The software maker, which is under pressure to produce a slate that can go head-to-head with Apple's iPad and devices powered by Google's Android OS, will unveil slates manufactured by OEM partners Dell and Samsung, according The New York Times.

The Times, citing unnamed sources, said the Samsung devices would be "similar in size and shape" to the iPad, but not as thin and equipped with a slide-out keyboard. The newspaper did not offer details on the Dell device.

Microsoft's credibility in the tablet market has come into question, as the company has failed to deliver on previous promises to deliver a full range of slates. CEO Steve Ballmer took the stage at CES 2010 almost a year ago to demonstrate a Windows-powered HP slate.

"We're talking about something that's almost as portable as a phone and that's as powerful as a PC running Windows 7," said Ballmer. But the device failed to materialize in stores.

[antiRepublicrat]

So that’s why he’s so screwed up. Losing that hair, having to wear those clothes, and especially having to try to hawk the abomination that was Windows 1.0 can really mess with a guy.

[Above My Pay Grade]

To each his own, I guess. I think a thin device with a touch screen and a full keyboard would be ideal. To me the iPad (and pretty much all slates for that matter) fall into a no-man’s land of being no more portable than a notebook and less functional. I’d rather carry around either a netbook, or an iPhone or other smartphone, or both, than an iPad.

I’m not sure what you mean about finding a flat surface. What I am talking about is would be pretty much in the shape of a netbook (when the keyboard is pulled out), but thinner and with a touchscreen, instead of a standard computer screen. Or picture an iPad, with a keyboard that would lay flat on your lap or table top, while the screen is standing up at an angle slightly greater than 90 degrees. I’d imagine it would have on onscreen virtual keyboard as well, for use when the keyboard is not pulled out.

[Above My Pay Grade]

I think the term iPhone, iPad or fill in the blank “killer” is a misnomer. For the near future Apple will always have a large fan base. Nothing is likely to “kill” those popular Apple products.

However, Android phones are already outselling iPhones and that margin will soon be very large.

The fact that Apple is making iPhones available on Verizon( while a smart move, IMO) is a sign of relative weakness, not strength of the iPhone. It signals that the Android phones have either caught up with or surpassed the iPhone so that the iPhone can no longer draw customers to a carrier other than their preferred one.

I saw an article this morning that said the Verizon deal will not increase total iPhone sales all that much, as most new Verizon iPhone users will be switching from AT&T.

[dayglored]

> I saw an article this morning that said the Verizon deal will not increase total iPhone sales all that much, as most new Verizon iPhone users will be switching from AT&T.

Nah, there's a bunch of us who can't use AT&T but do use Verizon, who are waiting for a Verizon iPhone to appear. I think new users will be numerous.

[LearnsFromMistakes]

here is another case with a keyboard, or maybe the same one:

http://dealmac.com/Faux-Leather-Case-w-Bluetooth-Keyboard-for-Apple-i-Pad-for-40-6-s-h-more/412887.html

Dealmac is a great site, and not just for macs/apple. worth checking out.

[ctdonath2]

“Slates aren’t for serious long-term typing.”

Well, it isn’t what it’s not.

A slate is intended for super portable use: super light, scant hardware, but adequate for uses calling for anytime anywhere ability. That’s very different use from serious...well, anything. Serious typing? Get a full size tactile keyboard. Serious storage? Put a multi terabyte RAID on your desk. Serious horsepower? Find room for a multi gigahertz multi core hyper threaded CPU. Need to check email, maps, websites, or take notes, or do a variety of lightweight tasks anywhere anytime? Get a slate.

You don’t use a bicycle to haul many bags of groceries home. You don’t drive a dump truck to work. You don’t drive a sportscar on a mountain bike path.

I grow puzzled at the persistent line “product X sucks because it doesn’t do what it wasn’t designed to do and wasn’t sold to do.” Hammers don’t suck just because it’s hard to clean your nails with one.