Windows 7 Slate Tablet: List of Devices

At the beginning of the year Microsoft announced at CES 2010 that they would launch the Slate Tablet device along with HP; a few months later they scrapped the idea. Now we are in the second half of 2010 and Steve Ballmer has changed his mind yet again and will release the device – although HP will not be building the device.

I have my theory on both decisions; the first is that HP is no longer in the picture as they want to build their own tablet device with a little help from Palm webOS. The second is that Microsoft has to respond to the fact that Apple’s iPad has been more successful than any of us imaged and the fact that Google and RIM are both working on a tablet device.

Microsoft will be partnering with 5 different vendors, who they have experience with. These are Asus, Dell, Samsung, Toshiba and Sony – all of which have knowledge with Windows 7. Paul McDougall from Information Week reports that Ballmer announced that the new range of Windows 7 Slate PCs will be launched over the next few months.

We just hope that they have more success in this market than they currently have in the smartphone market. They spent 2 years developing the Kin One and Kin Two, only to discontinue it after just 2 days of poor sales.

Do you believe that the Windows 7 Slate Tablet device will be a hit?