Microsoft Set to Go with Tablets, Again
NEW YORK (
) -- A tablet so nice,
Microsoft
(MSFT) - Get Report
introduces it twice.
Apparently this isn't déjà vu. Microsoft is once again preparing to unveil a tablet device at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is expected to showcase two tablets, one made by
Samsung
, the other by
Dell
(DELL) - Get Report
, according to a report Tuesday in
The New York Times
, which cited people familiar with the plan.
Despite a big introduction by Ballmer a year ago in Vegas (see photo, courtesy of
Engadget
), Microsoft -- and more importantly, Windows 7 -- has been absent in the tablet market, which is dominated by
Apple's
(AAPL) - Get Report
iPad and
Google's
(GOOG) - Get Report
Android-powered devices.
At least one of the Microsoft tablets is expected to have a slide-out keyboard, according to the
Times'
sources. And both tablets seem to be targeted to laptop customers as opposed to the iPad, which is seen as more of a media player or entertainment device.
It is not clear what operating system will be featured on the Samsung and Dell devices, but presumably it will be Windows 7. However, sources talking to the
Times
speculate that Ballmer may give a preview of Windows 8 software.
--Written by Scott Moritz in New York.>To contact this writer, click here: Scott Moritz, or email: scott.moritz@thestreet.com.To follow Scott on Twitter, go to http://twitter.com/MoritzDispatch.>To send a tip, email: tips@thestreet.com.