By Allen Tsai | Tue Jul 13, 2010 1:43 pm |
Microsoft is teaming up with about 20 hardware makers to release tablet computers running its Windows 7 operating system, underscoring the software giant's eagerness to counter the explosion of interest in Apple's popular iPad.
"They'll come with keyboards, they'll come without keyboards, they'll be dockable, there'll be many form factors, many price points, many sizes," said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's chief executive. "But they will all run Windows 7. They will run Windows 7 applications. They will run Office."
The Redmond, Wash.-based company said the new Windows-based "slate" tablets are in the pipeline from Acer, Dell, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony and a dozen other PC makers.
"This year one of the most important things that we will do in the smart device category is really push forward with Windows 7-based slates and Windows 7 phones," Ballmer said. "Over the course of the next several months you will see a range of Windows 7-based slates that I think you'll find quite impressive."
Apple's iPad, which sold more than two million units in less than 60 days since it went on sale in April, threatens to draw consumers away from Windows-dominated desktops, forcing Microsoft to furiously develop new products to rival the touch screen device. In May, Apple overtook Microsoft to become the world's largest tech company by market value.
Additionally, Windows Mobile, Microsoft's mobile operating system, has been losing ground to fierce competition from Apple's iPhone and Google's Android software. The company plans to shake up the management responsible for Windows Mobile.
"We missed a generation with Windows Mobile," Ballmer said. "We really did miss almost a release cycle."
Last month, the company said it was scrapping its "Kin" line of phones less than two months after the products went on sale in May.
|
|
Tue Feb 07, 2012 9:37 am | By
Butt Art, an iPad app that teaches kids how to draw animals, may join other tablet apps in slowly replacing books as learning devices.
|
|
|
|
Wed Nov 30, 2011 4:12 pm | By
The publisher of "Rolling Stone" and "US Weekly" will finally join the publishing stampede to the iPad, though its debut on the platform comes in the form of an e-book about the Beatles.
|
|
|
|
Wed Oct 19, 2011 4:00 pm | By
Apple CEO Tim Cook appeared unfazed by Amazon Kindle Fire's strong pre-sale numbers, as the holiday tablet race between iOS and Android heats up.
|
|
|
|
Mon Oct 17, 2011 3:55 pm | By
Motorola plans to sell a new "family edition" of its Xoom tablet for $380, which may better position the device to compete with the higher priced iPad 2 as the holiday season nears.
|
|
|
|
Tue Sep 27, 2011 10:08 am | By
Amazon's latest Kindle device may pose a credible threat to Apple's iPad 2 this holiday season, as the e-retailer announces a news conference for Wednesday to unveil the device.
|
|
|
|
] |
CellReception.com |
CellRisk.com |
Appedia.com |
Tabletedia.com
[