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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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The New York Times reported last night that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is set to introduce a new tablet device during his keynote address tonight at CES in Las Vegas.
On Wednesday, Mr. Ballmer, Microsoft's chief executive, will unveil a novel take on a slate-type computer during his evening keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, according to people familiar with Microsoft's plans. The slate will be made by Hewlett-Packard and possibly available by mid-year, these people said.
According to the report, Microsoft's tablet will be positioned as a multimedia device offering e-reader and multi-touch functionality, very similar to the rumored capabilities of Apple's tablet device. Apple's tablet is rumored to be introduced later this month, with multiple sources reporting that it will begin shipping in March.

Several months ago, Gizmodo published a series of articles highlighting Microsoft's prototype "Courier" multi-touch booklet device. It is unclear what relation, if any, today's rumored release has to the "Courier" project.

Article Link: Microsoft Reportedly Scheduled to Introduce Tablet Today
 

Lesser Evets

macrumors 68040
Jan 7, 2006
3,527
1,294
God, I really really really really want to see this train wreck of a device.

Most likely has no special features and costs very little, but if you can get by the viruses, it's good enough for a grandma.
 

hhaeschen

macrumors regular
Jan 1, 2008
102
0
EU
I would actually like that! Not that I want to buy MS's product, but this way Apple has to offer more than what has been expected during the last couple of months if they want to be groundbreaking. Competition drives innovation!
 

PutzMan

macrumors newbie
Feb 19, 2009
12
0
London
Good luck to Microsoft. I seriously hope that they prove every single one of you fanboys wrong.

You know full well that if this device had an Apple logo on it, you'd go out and buy it and say it's the best thing like sliced bread.
 

MrCrowbar

macrumors 68020
Jan 12, 2006
2,232
519
Woo, this is war I guess.

I'm not so sure how I feel about $1000 tablets in general. Same price as a fully fledged laptop, but you can't do as many different things on it, at once, with choice.
 

bobsentell

macrumors 6502a
Nov 14, 2008
836
0
Alabama
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)

I'm hoping it is the Courier. The "iSlate" sounds to be marketed toward those desire mobile entertainment. The Courier would be marketed to businesses and college students. If it is the Courier, then Apple and MS aren't technically competing.
 

HyperX13

macrumors 6502
Sep 3, 2009
351
7
Good luck to Microsoft. I seriously hope that they prove every single one of you fanboys wrong.

You know full well that if this device had an Apple logo on it, you'd go out and buy it and say it's the best thing like sliced bread.

If Microsoft came out with this after iSlate, ok, maybe. But since they are coming with it before iSlate, there is not much to copy. Since MS can't innovate, I can guarantee you that this thing will suck. Give it a year, and maybe. But then it will probably freeze like their little MS driven smart phones.
 

Lesser Evets

macrumors 68040
Jan 7, 2006
3,527
1,294
If that courier device is the working design, I am curious what MS is aiming for. Foldable devices are inconvenient and yesterday's design limitation.

It makes the screen area divide up, so gaming is limited, apps limit, but book reading seems like book reading... which is stupid. The point of a book isn't to read two pages at a time, it was to put information in a form which is protected from dirt and water and fire, etc. (the elements). People had scrolls before books. The point wasn't the form, the point was to convey information.

Thus, if they cling to form over benefit of function, they're putting the horse before the car.

Good luck to Microsoft. I seriously hope that they prove every single one of you fanboys wrong.
Aw. Poor baby.
 

jeznav

macrumors 6502
Aug 10, 2007
459
14
Eh?
If the Apple Tablet includes pen based input for sketching/note-taking, and looks more intuitive than Microsoft's Courier, then I'm in. Competition is a great thing! Looking forward to this CES and Jan 27.
 

Bubba Satori

Suspended
Feb 15, 2008
4,726
3,756
B'ham
So much angst in such a young thread. Impressive.
I predict hundreds of hand wringings and cries of outrage.
This should be fun.
 

dwd3885

macrumors 68020
Dec 10, 2004
2,131
148
Should be interesting to see! Hopefully it's a really good product. The people who vote this negative is why I HATE Apple fanboys.
 

dwd3885

macrumors 68020
Dec 10, 2004
2,131
148
Hahahahaha. This is hilarious. What's the matter Microsoft? Don't want to show if off after Apple introduces theirs? Don't want to be embarrassed, again?

so microsoft is first to the tablet game and it's their fault?
 

tillathenun

macrumors member
Jun 29, 2007
57
62
Kent, UK
Come on...

It looks fantastic!

I dislike Microsoft as much as the next Apple fanboy, but the Courier concept looks great - and being a designer, taking inspiration from everywhere, it's actually exactly what I'd want for writing and sketching ideas.

Of course, I've no doubt that Apple's tablet will do whatever it does much better/slicker, but let's all grow up a little bit and agree that:

1) The Zune HD does actually look pretty good
2) The XBox is a decent console
3) A bit of competition is good (and badly needed) for Apple
4) Windows isn't the train wreck it used to be
5) Macs aren't necessarily more reliable than similarly-priced PCs

See? That feels better - I have a zen-like calm now.
 

Xavier

macrumors demi-god
Mar 23, 2006
2,797
1,532
Columbus
Release it, patent it, and hope that Apple was planning on using the same tech. so can sue them.
 

Lesser Evets

macrumors 68040
Jan 7, 2006
3,527
1,294
so microsoft is first to the tablet game and it's their fault?

His meaning was clear. I think you need to browse the lolcats sites and leave this one alone.

The point made, and it probably true if this happens, is that Microsoft is jumping in front with an announcement despite shipping far in the future because they don;t want to seem like they are always trailing behind Apple. Don't forget that 99% of the public has no idea about what is coming, unlike people here who have been following forever.

Zunetbook. With two amazing choices of shell materials: toilet brown and urinal yellow.
 
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