Microsoft tablet: will it be Windows 8 tablet or Android tab?
Microsoft tablet is rumoured to be very close to be revealed to the world. But many wonder if it will be a Windows 8 tablet or Android tab
By Raaj Datta (NVONews.Com)
What’s cooking at Microsoft? We guess the smoke from the chimney was visible from this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles. A fortnight later, the Redmond giant once again issues a media invitation to a super-secret event in Los Angeles. The email sent to various media houses reads – “This will be a major Microsoft announcement — you will not want to miss it.”
Not even the venue is mentioned and Microsoft clearly states that the invite is non-transferable. Microsoft unveiled some interesting software technology at the E3 in LA, and although not exactly ground-breaking, they somehow relate to the Windows 8 Operating system that is going to be unveiled soon.
It is known that Microsoft has been working on to bring Windows 8 to ARM-based tablets. It doesn’t come as a surprise that Microsoft is lurking around the kind of chips that power the current Android tablets and phones. That time since, Microsoft has demonstrated Windows 8 running on ARM, with few computer manufacturers showing the kind of hardware they might use.
A tablet with Windows RT fits just right. Microsoft earlier said that it expects that some machines using Windows RT might debut alongside Windows 8 for desktops and laptops.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said in the keynote at the last Consumer Electronics Show that there’s going to be a wave of innovation from Microsoft and its partners. As for the event in Los Angeles this Monday, Microsoft confirms but refused to divulge any details.
Does SmartGlass fit anywhere in the Jigsaw puzzle?
E3 saw the unveiling of Xbox SmartGlass – an application and a multi-screen strategy of Microsoft that will give developers the chance to transform smartphones and tablets as controllers for the Xbox 360.
The application doesn’t restrict itself to just gaming, it will actually work with a number of Microsoft products. SmartGlass will allow people to move seamlessly across various devices they buy. It’s more like a combination of Apple’s AirPlay and iCloud.
The way we see it, Microsoft has been slowly building an ecosystem around a complete software and hardware solution with a single core. Now that it has almost everything in place, the time seems just about right to bridge the gap between its various products, both software and hardware. A Windows RT tablet seems just the thing that fits!
Why a tablet when Microsoft partners are already there?
As a matter of fact, though not popular, Microsoft has already been producing tablets that use the previous versions of Windows built by HP and Samsung. The Windows RT tablets should be similar to the Windows Phone that has live tiles on the homepage to group information.
Another thing that comes without a second thought is the urgency of Microsoft to tackle Apple and its products. Microsoft might go the Apple iPad way if it has to regain its foothold in the OS business, because tablets are where the future of computing is.
Microsoft could leverage the partnerships and produce its own tablet the same way Apple does. Or, possibly it already has done so!
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