In the year 2000, Microsoft introduced its current version of the tablet PC. The idea of the tablet PC was that instead of typing, you handwrite whatever you are doing and the tablet will convert your notes and letters into regular fonts like you are looking at on your screen right now. Most tablet PC's are flatter than laptops, but about the same width and some a little taller.
The concept was not new when Microsoft introduced the new versions in 2000, running a special version of Windows. They had never really been a hit prior to that, and frankly, they are still not a big hit today. According to Microsoft, the millionth Tablet PC was sold in February of 2005. That is not a lot of sales when spread over a 4+ year timeframe.
So, in order to make them a "hotter" commodity, Microsoft is playing with shrinking the tablet PC in size. The new mini-Tablet, which measures about six inches by eight inches and features a digitizer, is just one of a number of new, smaller Tablet form factors expected to debut in the coming months.
Although Microsoft won't confirm or deny any details about it, there are some definite hints. During an interview in February with ABC News anchor Peter Jennings, Bill Gates outlined his vision for this new type of form factor. Gates told Jennings:
"I am meeting with our tablet people about the idea of carrying text books around. They'll have just a tablet device that they can call up the material on. That's been a dream for a long time, we're making progress there. So review of the software projects and encouraging them in terms of what they are doing well and telling them who else they need to work with."
The education market has been one which Microsoft has done relatively little to tap, but which some industry watchers say could be one of the most promising for Tablet PC devices.
The new hybrid gadget is not a Pocket PC, nor some other kind of PDA. It's not a modified Smartphone. And it's not a personal communicator. It's definitely a mini-Tablet of some sort, sources said.
Gates might show off the hybrid prototype during his keynote at WinHEC (the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference) on April 25, according to sources. I still don't think they will ever be more than a sideshow of the computing world, but what do I know?
2 comments:
Interesting take. It'll be interesting to see how mobile PCs evolve.
By the way, I thought you'd like to know that Tablet PCs were launched November of 2002 with very small shipment at the end of the year and mass shipments started in 2003. Certainly seems like a long time :)
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