- Image by swishphotos via Flickr
Asus, Samsung, HP, Sony, Dell and Toshiba are just some of the manufacturers that are presently working on the launch of Window’s slate PCs. Speaking at the organisation’s annual World Partner Conference, Microsoft chief executive, Steve Ballmer the company will be venturing into the tablet PC market. The newly designed tablet devices will run on the Windows 7 operating system and are expected to be released in the next few months. While no specific launch date was announced, Mr Ballmer agreed that the tablet computing area was “terribly important” to Microsoft.
However, Microsoft’s decision to enter the tablet PC does not come as a surprise to experts who have been waiting for this announcement for quite sometime now. Perhaps, the only surprise is that it has taken Microsoft this long following the massive success of the Apple iPad tablet, which sold over 3 million units in less than 3 months after it was first released into the market. When it finally goes on sale, the Windows-7 tablet is expected to come in different forms, some dockable and others with keyboards.
However, the success of the device will depend on how it handles some of the challenges it is bound to face. For example, the fact that Windows operating systems were not originally designed to work in touch-screen environments. Furthermore, it remains to be seen how far Microsoft can break into an area that has been dominated by Apple for a considerable period of time. How many Apple users can Microsoft sway to its side? Only time will tell.
Talking Point
Can Microsoft compete with Apple in the tablet computing market?
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July 19, 2010 at 7:16 am
Finally Window’s tablet PC is under way, I think it is going to be a big success than Apple tablet PC (iPad) because Window product are more cheaper and widely use all over the world than Apple.
jackies35
October 24, 2010 at 9:29 pm
I know you responded to this article months back. However, as you were wrong, Apple sold over 4.2 million iPad.
So, I guess Window’s Tablet will have to sell about 5.1 Million by the end of the year to reach that?? LOL!!
jackies35
October 24, 2010 at 9:24 pm
I know this is an old post blog but I have to say, Apple had already sold close to 4.2 million iPad. I know by the end of this year not only would that grow, but Apple had launch a new MacBook Air that is off the hook!
I think the competition is going to be CRAZY! Not only would Microsoft is launching a new tablet but Google and I believe Android.
The market was there and Apple ran it. I hope other companies will do something different. Apple already did it and many students in college received free iPads. They can’t even live without it!
Now what?!
IT Job Blog
January 20, 2011 at 12:07 pm
With Microsoft entering mobile computing, it will be very interesting to see how the competition will evolve. However, Microsoft latest tab (Courrier) does not seem to be targeting general users. It looks like Microsoft is targeting a niche market like Business users that needs advanced integration with their backend systems or mobile IT Professionals (e.g Support Technicians, etc). So the market is not really the same than Ipad or Samsung Tablet, but still think that Microsoft could be making their biggest mistake.
Eric
March 15, 2011 at 9:58 pm
By using windows 7 instead of a purpose built OS Microsoft was of course only testing the water and wanting to be seen to be doing something in the tablet arena. It was not be a srious attempt to make a dent on iPad’s march.
Marc Rasmussen
August 9, 2011 at 9:09 am
In my opinion, Windows Tablet PC is far from Apple’s iPAD. I think there goal there was to check how consumers respond to their product. It wasn’t really their goal to surpass Apple. Just a thought Thanks