“New tablet or slate devices — small, hand-held, wireless computers — running Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system are in the pipeline from Acer Inc., Dell Inc., Samsung Electronics Co Ltd., Toshiba Corp., Sony Corp. and several other PC makers, Ballmer said at the company’s annual partner conference in Washington, D.C.,” Rigby reports. “‘This year, one of the most important things that we will do in the smart device category is really push forward with Windows 7-based slates,’ said Ballmer. ‘This is a terribly important area for us.'”
Rigby reports, “Apple’s iPad, launched in April, has already sold more than 2 million units worldwide, and threatens to take customers away from Microsoft-dominated desktop computing.”
MacDailyNews Take: Make that 3 million sold in 80 days and counting, Bill.
Ever notice how the media’s “mistakes” in Apple numbers almost always severely undercount? In fact, we’d be hard pressed to come up with an example where some “reporter” actually vastly overstated Apple numbers by “mistake.”
Oh, yeah: May Microsoft shareholders remain catatonic so that Steve Ballmer can stay CEO for as long as it takes!
Full article here.
“smart device” and “Windows 7” is an oxymoron. With the emphasis on moron.
Gotta love it: All these marvelous, revolutionary, mind-blowing devices are (wait for it) . . . “in the pipeline”! Yeah, and so is all the stinking effluent from his Redmond office.
Each and every one of these little iPad killers is (again, wait for it) . . . V-A-P-O-R-W-A-R-E! Got it? How’s that “Courier” thing working out for you, Stevie? Got Pink? Kin? Zune? Slate?
Gawd, when will the media ever, EVER learn?
Funny how this was not a “terribly important area” for MS until apple started figured it out and started winning in it. Same old MS story.
Bring on another Kin. Just what I want a virus spreading slate that uses some fake pen.
Have we ever received a balance review of anything from reporter or neepapers? They all have their “special” interest and the money flows as their words are molded to fit the total sum in the media’s pocket.
Undercount or over count, truth is Apple is sweating everybody- even the papers!
MS just thinks that if Apple makes something a success then they can do the same… unfortunately for them.. over many years they haven’t learned from repeated failure.
Another case of Monkey(ballmer) see..Monkey do
Brilliant, I am all for Ballmer and his crazy idea that he is somehow going to upend the iPad with loads of shitty manufacturers flooding the market with crappy slate PCs.
If anything, it will further cement Apple’s dominance of the tablet market.
Ballmer forever!
I love the quote from this site:
http://www.businessinsider.com/steve-ballmer-says-we-are-hardcore-about-tablet-computing-2010-7?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+typepad/alleyinsider/silicon_alley_insider+(Silicon+Alley+Insider)
“Steve Ballmer Says Microsoft Is “Hardcore” About Tablet Computing”.
The only thing “hardcore” about a Windows slate is what people will be watching on it- because that’s just about all they will be good for.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
They’ve had 80 days to take the iPad apart and copy each part…I bet every tablet from each manufacturer will look like the iPad, just like the iPhone copies do. Didn’t Bill Gates push the tablet years earlier??? Why, yet again, did Apple have to give them something to copy before theirs could take off?
Man, are they late to the party again…at least RIMM’s looks a little unique and signature of Blackberry, but they are late, too.
Android may have a small amount of pee pee in the engines of their clones and OS, but they are at least not late enough to have some impact and eventually clean things up.
Apple is such a role model…the best product eventually wins. I long for the day when my kids have kids and my grandson asks me…”Who is Micro$oft”??
@MacMan
They should sell them with screen whipes….
@iStepchild
I long for the day when Ballmer goes down in history as a man who sunk a multibillion dollar corporation
What Ballmer meant to say was…
“This is a terrifyingly important area for us.”
This is so deja zune… but come on, MS has the lead in slate devices with their big a$$ table. All they really need is to put some straps on it so you can carry it on your back.
I can just see Ballmer running around like a monkey on stage with one strapped onto his back yelling out “Hernia, hernia hernia.”
Do you think that Steve Ballmer thinks that “in the pipeline” is a real plumbing situation and he is down in the basement tapping on the pipes to see if they are close yet? Is he ready to call Roto-Rooter to flush them out sooner?
I think he should consider being a clown in the circus for his next gig after Microsoft finishes their crash and burn tactics.
You all did see that HP is not in that iPad killer Windows 7 list? That would be the one Steve Ballmer danced around with I believe earlier this year.
I recall reading an article right here at MDN about two years ago about how if Microsoft wanted to compete in the future mobile computing arena, it needed to find ways to scale down Windows to have different versions that work on different devices. Turns out, Apple has done exactly that. Now, how on earth is M$oft going to fit Windows 7 on a tablet device and make it viable? Device makers are opting for Android or purchasing their own OS, as HP did. OS X and its “minime” homuncular iOS versions have proven to be unbeatable resources for Apple.
Plays For Sure Redux.
No Road Warrior (nli). Right before the call 911, he will be screaming for app “developers”, app “developers”, app “developers”, (deodorant), app “developers”, … (My kingdom for a dry shirt!), app “developers”, …
Maybe he will start wearing a black turtle neck. Not because the real Steve wears them. Just to hide the sweat.
Here’s an interesting site to visit for a peek into the world of MS:
http://minimsft.blogspot.com/
Noticed all the IE8 ads on TV lately, touting how IE8 safe and secure it is? Compared to what? IE7?
Why do they always have to “counter”
Why not invent something totally new and different?
Every time Apple or other company comes out with something, M$ has to create something similar to counter the product.
Is this what M$ calls innovation?
“‘This year, one of the most important things that we will do in the smart device category is really push forward with Windows 7-based slates,’ said Ballmer. ‘This is a terribly important area for us.'”
After years of apathy, it has become important to M$ because Apple has made it a successful and profitable niche. The problem is, M$ will be no more successful in copying its way into this area of mobile electronics than it was with the iPod or iPhone.
Sorry, Ballmer. Tablets are for innovators. M$ gave up on meaningful innovation a long time ago in favor of buy and assimilate or buy and extinguish.
http://twitpic.com/24nqbv
That’s the image of the slide from Ballmer’s talk about Slates and WinPhone coming this year.
Microsoft: Always announcing. Occasionally releasing.
Apple: Never announcing until releasing.
I believe these manufactures are developing tablets that mimic the iPad. It will be interesting to see what software is running on them.
The only people who love Ballmer more than the the MS Fans are the Apple Fans.
Cheers to Ballmer’s reign as CEO!!