Rumor: Microsoft Is Also Developing a Touchscreen Tablet
2:18 pm, September 21st, 2009, Leander Kahney
Like Apple, Microsoft is rumored to be working on a touchscreen tablet. Hopefully it won't resemble this earlier effort.
Like Apple, Microsoft is developing on a touchscreen tablet, several sources say.
CoM has heard rumors that Microsoft has a touchscreen tablet in the works. 9to5Mac is reporting that Microsoft is working on a tablet (and two touchscreen phones to compete with the iPhone).
Mary-Jo Foley at ZDNet has some details: Microsoft’s tablet effort is being led by James Allard, the Microsoft executive in charge of the XBox and Zune, and members of Microsoft’s Surface team, Foley reports.
At Microsoft, Allard has earned a reputation for building better than average interfaces. Both the Zune and the Xbox have been praised for the visual flair of their interfaces, but under the hood, they’re generally the same old Microsoft. The secret to making a great tablet will the ease of use. As Apple has demonstrated with the iPhone, it’s not a question of grafting some big touch-friendly buttons on top of an interface designed for a mouse and keyboard. The whole interaction model has to be rethought for finger controls. Adding touch-friendly buttons to Windows 7 will not cut it.
If Microsoft is working on a tablet, it joins half-a-dozen other companies working on similar devices.
Apple, of course, is rumored to be working on a touchscreen tablet that is likely to be introduced early next year.
Mike Arrington of TechCrunch is developing a tablet with Singapore start-up Fusion Garage, which was promised to be introduced this year. Dell and Intel are reportedly working on a touchscreen device to launch early next year, and Nokia and HTC are also said to be working on tablets. Market research firm Display Search projects the touchscreen market will triple in the next few years, from $3.6 billion to $9 billion.
Unfortunately, no one has specs for the device, launch date or pricing. And it’s not known whether it will be made by Microsoft, like the XBox or Zune, or a reference device licensed to third-party hardware makers.
Foley notes that Microsoft is looking to generally exit the hardware business. In future, the company will work closely with a select group of hardware manufacturers, trying to ensure tighter integration between hardware and software. Tight vertical integration has been one of the secrets of Apple’s success.
Posted by Leander Kahney in Apple Tablet, Hardware, News, Rumors | Comment on this article
Microsoft hasn’t had an original thought in at least 30 years.
Rplat, on September 21st, 2009 at 3:06 pm
“Microsoft hasn’t had an original thought in at least 30 years.”
-QFT
Eiteck, on September 21st, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Gee, what a surprise.
Fat monkey see, fat monkey do!
Paul, on September 21st, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Any competition is good. Any competition that is driving Apple further IS good.
I don’t care if it’s coming from MS or any other company.
Mabaker, on September 21st, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Maybe this will get Apple off there fucking asses ship one for fucking sake. We had to wait like 5 fucking years for OS X on intel machines when they had it from the start? I have a feeling Steve Jobs half Syrian side is showing too much with how he’s making Apple seem more utilitarian/ dictatorship then a utopia more like fruitopia if ya ask me. No I’m not racists I’m Arabic and been to Syria it’s fucked up sort like how Apple is with their workers and all the secrecy maybe there is a jail under there headquarters for worker’s that are not to Steve’s liking. Schiller the new Colin Powell? Okay too much? I love Apple but I’m fucking tired of this fucking playing around with people waiting.
BetaCloud, on September 21st, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Microsoft making a Tablet, I better get down the gym an work on my arms it probably weighs as much as desktop….
Poppa, on September 21st, 2009 at 10:31 pm
@BetaCloud
*facepalm*
Thommas, on September 21st, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Goodness BetaCloud,
Perhaps you should switch to another brand that will not raise you ire or you blood pressure so much. I would much rather wait around for Apple to get it at least somewhere realm of right than have them rush to market some half baked product like some other companies do.
Fuzzy Duck, on September 21st, 2009 at 11:49 pm
2 thoughts…
(1) “Touchscreen” tablets are substandard. Active digitizers are much better.
(2) The worst mistake a Mac lover can make is automatically assuming a company with single-digit market percentage and 3x higher average price can dominate the market. Niches exist, and niche dwellers need to accept it.
Bloggenstein, on September 23rd, 2009 at 9:45 am