Since the early days of the Origami project, Microsoft has looked at the tablet as a desktop replacement. Slates ran Windows XP or Windows 7; never Windows Mobile or Windows Phone 7. This desktop strategy >hasn’t worked so well in the past (remember UMPCs?), but the company just won’t let it go.
Microsoft likely thinks it will work out better this time with Windows 8; but the runaway success of the iPad suggests otherwise. The iPad is popular because it is an oversized smartphone and not a notebook replacement. The lightweight OS makes using a tablet fast, easy and enjoyable. Agree? Disagree?[Electronista; Shutterstock/Tom Wang]
Dave
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 5:39 PMAGREE!!!! Microsoft should be pushing towards a better OS thats NOT built on there existing technology. They have the Direct X rights so they can bring it with them. Go Unix based and start from scratch. I know its not easy but if they can kill the shitty core of there OS without loosing too many customers or developers in the process they can come back as the kings of the computer world there used to be. Either that or just continue to pretend that Apple and Linux don’t mean anything and their’s nothing to worry about.
Phil
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 6:12 PMTablets are more a “Personal” Computer than a PC ever was…
Craig D
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 8:06 PMDisagree, a tablet is just another PC.
As developer working with the things I can tell you that most business are chomping at the bit for USABLE Windows tablets.
Franz
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 8:06 PMCan it open and extract .rar files? if not, it’s not a PC.
Paul
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 9:49 PMiPad is popular because it is an iPad, they could cause cancer and kill 3rd world orphans and people would still buy them.
As for them being ‘useful’ it depends if playing ‘Angry Birds’ on the train is considered as useful or not. I’m yet to see someone actually hardcore use their iPad to get things done and I don’t mean taking notes in a meeting.
Something that can do the work of a netbook, with the portability and battery life of a tablet and without the form-factor constraints that a netbook/laptop has would be a top class gadget and ‘useful’.
Danny Allen
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 9:56 PMGotta say I’m with Ballmer on this one. Just seems like splitting hairs to me. Windows 8 might have a mobile-centric enough view to be more “content consumption” that personal computing, though… We’l have to wait and see.
travis
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 10:31 PMI say tablets are PC’s, I mean all I need is a dock at work and then I can use it onto to work as media consumption and then click it in for real work :)
TSH
Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 9:26 AMDISAGREE. Mobile OSes have a looong way to go before they match desktop OSes for power and functionality. I heartily applaud MS for their perseverance in bringing the full-featured Windows 8 to tablet PCs with a UI makeover.
I want any tablet I buy to be a netbook replacement – i.e. a small, low power machine that can do everything my desktop can do, except slower. As much as I want an ASUS Transformer right now, I will wait for Win8.
franny
Monday, July 25, 2011 at 10:14 AMtablet is like a pc it is innovate due to our new modern generation.The advantage of this tablet is u can bring this any place without hassle.Choose a tablet wherein complete features.