Around the Net
Handicapping Microsoft's Slate Chances
- Bussiness Insider et al, Tuesday, December 14, 2010 2:24 PM
For starters, one new Microsoft tablet made in conjunction with Samsung will offer a physical keyboard, sources tell The New York Times.
Regarding the Samsung's design specifics -- which were first reported by a French blog last week -- Business Insider writes: "We didn't think much of it, because we didn't think Microsoft would really make something so ugly and
embarrassing. But, it looks like we're wrong!"
Putting Microsoft's latest slate initiative in the context of its mobile strategy, ReadWriteWeb notes: "Analysts have called this an essential move for months, but this isn't quite
the type of tablet that some expected."
Essential indeed, "An analyst at Goldman Sachs ... said in a report that Microsoft would see slowed revenue growth next year as long as
it 'maintains the status quo' with its current attitude toward tablet computers," VentureBeat points out.
Critics be darned, "Microsoft hopes these slates will offer an alternative to the iPad because they move beyond play," writes The Times.
"The company believes there is a huge
market for business people who want to enjoy a slate for reading newspapers and magazines and then work on Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint while doing work," one source tells The Times.
"If [Microsoft] can combine productivity and fun with a responsive interface and an active apps ecosystem, it might put up a good fight," ReadWriteWeb adds. "That's a tall order to fill, though."
Meanwhile, "Still unanswered are key questions about the next generation of Windows tablets," writes Brier Dudley in The Seattle Times. "When exactly will they go on sale,
and how much will they cost?"
Chiefly, "If they're $1,000, they'll die the same quick death as Microsoft's ultra-mobile PC concept, which debuted on Samsung hardware in 2006,"
Dudley predicts.
