Crowded Field
The software giant will provide its Windows 7 operating systems to leading manufacturer partners such as Dell 
, Samsung, ASUS, Toshiba and Sony, with devices expected by the end of the year.
Those companies may find themselves in a race with manufacturers using Google's popular Android operating system on tablets, such as LG and HTC, according to industry rumors.
In January, Ballmer introduced tablet devices running Windows 7 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that were made by Pegatron, ARCHOS and Hewlett-Packard, none of which have hit the market yet. HP has since dropped its Slate computer concept and has since taken over Palm, which makes it likely the company will market a tablet based on Palm's webOS rather than Windows.
Tablet War?
It was Apple's introduction of the iPad in January and its highly successful launch in April that blew open the tablet market, sparking a competitive rush. But devices have yet to emerge that put practicality ahead of fun.
"What happens if the OS companies claim a 'tablet war' and nobody shows up to fight?" asked Jeff Orr, principal analyst of mobile devices for ABI Research. "The media tablet market is not very exciting so far; perhaps an experiment more than a market. Despite announcements and demonstrations from OEM vendors in both the mobile and PC markets, only Apple has commercially launched products during the first half of 2010."
He noted that while the iPad has sold well in the handful of countries where it's available, plenty of potential tablet consumers may be waiting to see what else comes along.
"Many are waiting for more affordable and varied media tablets that utilize Google, Microsoft or other operating system software," he said. "So far, companies announcing those tablet products haven't delivered. Consumers will likely wait, but for how long? Broken promises need to be replaced with product shipment; not hype from the OS suppliers."
Microsoft's Challenge
Avi Greengart of Current Analysis noted that Apple's success with the iPad stems from extending the user interface and ecosystem of the iPhone and iPod to a tablet, something Microsoft can't do.
"The standard Windows user interface and application set does not work for tablets," Greengart said. "We know this because Microsoft has a long history making operating systems for tablets, and they have only been successful in limited vertical markets. If Microsoft is serious about the tablet market, it will need a different approach than simply adding touch controls to Windows."
