Ballmer: Microsoft slates to appear within a year

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Microsoft is building up the momentum for its slates built on the Tablet PC version of Windows 7.

At the Worldwide Partner Conference 2010, Microsoft chief executive (CEO) Steve Ballmer claimed there would be a flood of slates with varying specifications and price points within the next year.

In his keynote, Ballmer claimed users do not just want thin clients, such as iPad-like devices, but also what he called rich clients.

“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 but they will run Windows 7. They will run Windows 7 applications. They will run Office,” he said.

During the conference a 3M M2256PW touchscreen using Swype, a software keyboard that allows the user to slide their finger from one key to another to create words, was demoed. The Swype system features on some mobile phones, such as the Motorola Droid, to speed up the typing process. Whether this will be built into Windows 7 is not yet known.

Microsoft has been galvanised into action following the success of Apple’s iPad. In a very short time, the touch-screen device has captured the imagination in the way that Microsoft hoped the Tablet PC would when it was launched in 2002. Despite eight years of development, the Windows-based systems are now playing catch-up.

A slide accompanying the boost for slates listed 21 companies – including Asus, Dell, Toshiba and Lenovo – that Ballmer claimed have plans for Windows slates. The list included HP, which is rumoured to be also developing a slate based on Palm’s WebOS. Missing from the slide of supporters was Acer.

What Ballmer omitted to mention was any actual release dates which could be crucial in this market.

Ballmer has spoken before about his company's foray into the tablet market, leaving the industry waiting to see if it can truly compete with the might of Apple.

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