After HP Slate is apparently dead, now we have rumours that Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer has recently confirmed reports of launching Windows 7 tablets. Of course, how long would it bear the pain and allow tablet from Apple and various Android backers run away in the market. So does this news also kill Microsoft’s latest rumour about the Courier dual-screen tablet?
Today at the opening of Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference, Ballmer confirmed that Microsoft and its existing PC partners, including Asus, Dell, Samsung, Toshiba and Sony, will all be fielding Windows 7 slates in the coming months. These slates will be available at a variety of price points and in a variety of form factors: with keyboards, touch only, dockable, able to handle digital ink, etc.
“We know you really want to know what’s coming” in the new form factor space, Ballmer told partners. But at the same time Ballmer retained the secret. Ballmer never mentioned the iPad or the coming Chrome OS-based slates by name during his remarks. Microsoft’s pitch will be that these slates will be sanctioned by corporate IT departments, enabling customers to use them at work and at home.
Since Ballmer showed off a prototype of a Windows 7 slate from HP at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, the company has said next-to-nothing about how it planned to address the slate form-factor space. Now HP itself has still didn’t officially confirmed that it isn’t going to deliver a Windows 7 slate this year, but HP officials have said to expect the company to field a WebOS-based one this fall. So wait for the tech-giants to launch something great for us.
Tags: Asus, dual screen, hp officials, iPad, Mirosoft, slate, slates, steve ballmer, windows 7