Ballmer: Microsoft is "hardcore" about Win7 Slates

[gastan]

I too would prefer a windows based slate/tablet over the other OS's. I am glad to hear MS at least talking like they think it's an important market. But I, like other people here, realize that it is not entirely up to MS. They don't do hardware (except for minimal accessories like mice, keyboards, etc. and the xbox), they do software. It's up to Asus, HP, Fujitsu, Dell, Sony, MSI, et al, to come up with and ship a hardware product. It's those companies that decided, a few years ago, that slates/tablets had no future. It's those companies that have misread the market. It's those companies that have to play catch up.

[Maggie Leung]

Originally Posted by gastan

I too would prefer a windows based slate/tablet over the other OS's. I am glad to hear MS at least talking like they think it's an important market. But I, like other people here, realize that it is not entirely up to MS. They don't do hardware (except for minimal accessories like mice, keyboards, etc. and the xbox), they do software. It's up to Asus, HP, Fujitsu, Dell, Sony, MSI, et al, to come up with and ship a hardware product. It's those companies that decided, a few years ago, that slates/tablets had no future. It's those companies that have misread the market. It's those companies that have to play catch up.

Weren't there photos of a Courier tablet prototype before MS pulled the plug? I would expect other hardware makers to put out tablets with an MS operating system, but maybe MS will put out its own, too.

[m-reader]

Windows tablets have been on the market for a while now. Apple did not invent the tablet pc format. Granted, they've done well with it - kudos to Apple etc. (I'm not flame-baiting here).
I think Microsoft is in a very strong position to do really well in this market. I remember using my Fujitsu Lifebook (I forget the model) 5 years ago with a stylus for note taking. It had really good integration with MS Office and was very usable. In addition, the OneNote software works really well in a table environment.
What they do need to work on is the multi-touch, gesture type of interface. Menus are not very good UI for fingers .

[Maggie Leung]

Originally Posted by m-reader

Windows tablets have been on the market for a while now. Apple did not invent the tablet pc format. Granted, they've done well with it - kudos to Apple etc. (I'm not flame-baiting here).
I think Microsoft is in a very strong position to do really well in this market. I remember using my Fujitsu Lifebook (I forget the model) 5 years ago with a stylus for note taking. It had really good integration with MS Office and was very usable. In addition, the OneNote software works really well in a table environment.
What they do need to work on is the multi-touch, gesture type of interface. Menus are not very good UI for fingers .

Yes, I considered Windows tablets previously, but they weren't usable enough for me. I went on one brand-name fan forum, looking for info, for instance, and even the fans were complaining about the tablets, lol. iPad has set the bar higher for tablets and tablet content.

I'm not an Apple fan, though I love my iPad. My husband used to work at Microsoft. You could say we have an MS bias. I would prefer an MS / Windows tablet, because all our other computers are on Windows and I could ditch iTunes, which I hate.

[librus38]

I really need a windows slate sometime in the future: for my art using Photoshop. The Motion J3500 is such a machine , but for the price it has right now ...let's see what the next year will bring...

[mknopp]

Apple isn't the only competitor MS needs to worry about in tablet computers.

By the time MS gets around to releasing a tablet both Google and HP will have released a wide range of tablets running Android and WebOS respectively.

Thus Microsoft will be coming in as the fourth tablet OS provider. And will be coming in behind some serious competition at that.

Apple has an advantage with its tight integration and control of both the software and the hardware. Google has an advantage with the price (free is hard to compete with) and has an early advantage with programs if it can leverage the apps from the phone market to the tablet like Apple did for the iPad. HP has its own ties to hardware manufacturing and has strong ties to the business community, not to mention a very strong international sales force.

Microsoft is going to have to do some serious innovation here or they are going to find themselves left in the dust once again. They really don't seem to have a lot to offer except Office, that the others don't have a ready answer for.

[WillAdams]

mknopp said:
>By the time MS gets around to releasing a tablet both Google and HP will have
>released a wide range of tablets running Android and WebOS respectively.

>Thus Microsoft will be coming in as the fourth tablet OS provider. And will be
>coming in behind some serious competition at that.

?!?

There've been Tablet computers running Microsoft Windows since 1991:

http://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/30/bu...er-can-do.html

One can purchase a Tablet PC running Windows 7 now:

http://www.motioncomputing.com/produ...let_pc_J35.asp

But Apple still isn't making a replacement for my Newton MessagePad, and HP has yet to replace the Compaq TC 1000/1100/1200 line.

Things which a Tablet from Microsoft offers which the iPad and WebOS don't:

- handwriting recognition built-in
- active stylus w/ hover and right-click
- OneNote
- the ability to use _any_ application which one can get for one's desktop (you're not likely to see a font editor or FrameMaker equivalent for the iPad)

William

[hapmas77]

Actually, it was just announced today in Indonesia's Computer Festival, 10inch tablet with Windows 7 by Zyrex, a local company:

http://www.zyrex.com/site/index.php?...mart&Itemid=31

there are two tablets: one running Windows 7 (US$500) and the other running Android Froyo (US$400).

Pre-ordered for release in August or September 2010.

[Lemurion]

Originally Posted by hapmas77

Actually, it was just announced today in Indonesia's Computer Festival, 10inch tablet with Windows 7 by Zyrex, a local company:

http://www.zyrex.com/site/index.php?...mart&Itemid=31

there are two tablets: one running Windows 7 (US$500) and the other running Android Froyo (US$400).

Pre-ordered for release in August or September 2010.

These are what I want: hopefully the Android one has market access.

[mknopp]

Yes, Microsoft has been putting full Windows on tablet computers for a while now. However, I was making the assumption that since this was in relation to Balmer's recent announcement that it was thus in reference to the new breed of tablets.

No offense, but comparing the old Windows tablets to the new breed is like comparing a smart phone from a five years ago to the new smart phones. They are hardly the same thing, and the old style of smart phones are getting their lunch handed to them. Deservedly so.

From my understanding the new Windows tablets will be modern tablets with full on touch based interfaces, like the other modern tablets.

Thus, to clarify, Microsoft will be the fourth company releasing a modern tablet OS.

[mknopp]

Oh, I almost forgot about the other major player in the tablet field. Nokia/Intel have been showing off their MeeGo based tablets.

You cannot tell me that this doesn't have Microsoft wetting their pants just a little. If Intel decides to keep their portable chips for MeeGo only then Microsoft might have a little bit of a problem. Can Win7 even run on ARM processors? If it can, how many of the existing apps can?

I am sorry, but I just don't see Microsoft being in a good position for tablets. I still contend that they are coming late to the game. Or perhaps more precisely, they are catching on late that the rules of the game suddenly changed.

[Maggie Leung]

Originally Posted by mknopp

Oh, I almost forgot about the other major player in the tablet field. Nokia/Intel have been showing off their MeeGo based tablets.

You cannot tell me that this doesn't have Microsoft wetting their pants just a little. If Intel decides to keep their portable chips for MeeGo only then Microsoft might have a little bit of a problem. Can Win7 even run on ARM processors? If it can, how many of the existing apps can?

I am sorry, but I just don't see Microsoft being in a good position for tablets. I still contend that they are coming late to the game. Or perhaps more precisely, they are catching on late that the rules of the game suddenly changed.

Not addressed to you specifically, but along those lines:

I don't actually care who's late to the game or how many competitors there are already. I would like to see a lot of competition, so I can pick and choose. I don't care which company "wins," as long as I can buy something that works for me.

[mknopp]

Originally Posted by Maggie Leung

Not addressed to you specifically, but along those lines:

I don't actually care who's late to the game or how many competitors there are already. I would like to see a lot of competition, so I can pick and choose. I don't care which company "wins," as long as I can buy something that works for me.

I personally hope that nobody wins. Competition is always good for the consumer and the lack of competition will make any company lazy.

My ideal tablet environment would be three or four companies all making tablets and about evenly dividing the market. That way they will all push each other.

The reality of it though is that there will likely be one "winner" who will control the bulk of the market and a few others who keep them advancing just enough to keep their lead. This is what happened in the desktop OS market.

Also, a late reference, but:

Originally Posted by WillAdams

Things which a Tablet from Microsoft offers which the iPad and WebOS don't:

- handwriting recognition built-in
- active stylus w/ hover and right-click
- OneNote
- the ability to use _any_ application which one can get for one's desktop (you're not likely to see a font editor or FrameMaker equivalent for the iPad)

-Handwriting recognition is available in add-on programs such as WritePad for the iPad. Also, handwriting recognition may not be so far away. They have built it into the OS for Chinese characters. Given the fact that PalmOS had handwriting recognition (of sorts) are you sure that WebOS doesn't? I don't know since I don't own one.

- Active stylus w/ hover and right-click
I am filing this one under personal preference. Personally, I hope that the iPad and WebOS never get this. The whole pointer and right click is a hold over from computers and I feel it has no place on a tablet. Have you thought that perhaps the fact that the iPad doesn't have this cruft from the past might be part of the reason it sold so well, while more conventional ports to tablets have languished for close to three decades?

-One Note
I am sure that Microsoft's programs will continue to work best on Microsoft's OS. However, there are very well supported rumors that Microsoft is well under way to developing a version of Mobile office which will run on "other major mobile platforms for smartphones".
Also, while it isn't exactly Onenote, Evernote is a highly regarded alternative for the iPad.

-The ability to use _any_ program for desktop...
While I could see a font design program coming to the iPad eventually. I have to seriously wonder about your desire to have FrameMaker. Seriously? I pull my hair out trying to develop on a single 13" screen when I am working on my laptop while on the road. I think I would shoot myself if I had to work on a 10" screen. The simple point is that there are some things that the vast majority of people are simply not going to want to do on a small screen like those found on most tablets.

Also, I would file this under be careful what you wish for. To keep the tablets light and the battery life decent, most tablets that I have seen are not running desktop or even laptop grade processors or graphics. Thus, even if you could live with confining a desktop app on your tablet's small screen, could you stand the slow performance and lag issues?

The current state of technology is simply not going to allow for a tablet of the sizes we are seeing to be laptop replacements. The laws of physics are the same for Microsoft as for everyone else. You can either have a small, light tablet with a long battery life which won't run desktop apps well, or you can have a larger, heavier tablet with poor battery life which can run desktop apps.

Personally, for those types of apps I will just keep my laptop. For reading, playing games, watching movies, listening to music, browsing the web, checking Facebook, shooting off emails, and doing some light work, I think I will stick with my tablet that can't run Framemaker or its ilk. That is why I have a laptop and in some cases a dual monitor desktop.