Microsoft unveils new HP Slate and other Windows Tablet PCs – Who needs Apple?

Apple is still refusing to share any details about its forthcoming Tablet PC, which may be called the iSlate, may come in under $1,000 and may even exist, possibly. Meanwhile, Microsoft is already working with its partners to make the new ‘Slate’ category of computers awash with devices. And Steve Ballmer unveiled three of the new devices at CES 2010.

I think it’s important to remember that the Tablet PC that everyone is getting so excited about is not a new idea. Instead, it’s more that the technology has caught up with the concept. It’s also important to remember that Apple does not hold some magical copyrights relating to Tablet PCs, and that even if and when it does detail its new iSlate, it’ll be just one of many such devices coming to market this year.

As expected, Steve Ballmer used his keynote speech time on stage to unveil a new touchscreen device. It wasn’t the Courier tablet that some thought it would be, but rather three new devices which all fall into the Tablet PC category, which all run Windows 7, and which all offer an alternative to the vaporware that Apple fanboys are already creaming their pants over.

One was from Archos and appeared to be multimedia-focused, and one was a large-screen offering from Pegatron that appeared to be more for newspaper and magazine reading – like a glorified Kindle. However, the one which Ballmer demonstrated in greater detail was a new Slate device from HP, introduced with this video:

Ballmer spoke a little about the device, before picking it up and using it to browse through Twilight using the Amazon Kindle app for PC. He described it as “something that’s almost as portable as a phone and that’s as powerful as a PC running Windows 7.” Which sounds pretty damn good to me.

Ballmer stated that the HP Slate and other similar products will be launched later this year, but didn’t give any pricing details. If past history is anything to go by, however, it would seem likely that the Tablet PCs running Windows will be a lot cheaper than any Apple offering.

Unless Apple has something extraordinarily beautiful and groundbreaking under its belt waiting to be unveiled, I can’t for the life of me see why the iSlate is getting so much attention. There are other devices which look fantastic and work the exact same way as the mythical Apple device, yet they seemingly aren’t worthy of even a fraction of the hyperbole. Which is just bizarre.

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