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Bloomberg Reporting the Obvious: Microsoft’s Delay Leads Tablet Makers to Look Elsewhere

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Masters of the obvious. Bloomberg Businessweek is reporting that because Microsoft has been slow out of the chute coming up with Tablet friendly OS beyond or different than Windows 7 that OEMs like Dell and HP are looking elsewhere for software to run their tablets.

Let’s see, that’s been old news for, well for some time now. That said, it points up something else equally obvious. We’ve been saying here for quite some time that designing, developing and making these Tablets and slates is hard and that is why the Year of the Tablet is more than likely to be 2011 than 2010. But if you’re looking at creating a piece of hardware and depending on a software partner to run the thing the way the industry typically works, you and your partner are standing at the starting line at a three-legged sack race, while your competition is continuing to sprint ahead with no encumbrances.

15 Comments

15 Comments

  1. RobertM

    06/16/2010 at 6:04 am

    I believe that it’s not so much microsoft’s fault as it is more the fault of vicious cycle of some sort.

    Here’s one I came up:
    People are not buying tablets(inking tablets)<=because Apple is not making one(it doesn't have to be Apple, but it has to be done the apple way)<=Because there are still hardware/sofware limitations(at the right price) namely battery/weight limitations ,or how the wacom dual digitizer is not refined enough for Apples taste, or how There isn't a stripped down version of windows 7 that's snappy on atom level processors but is still capable of running productivity apps like office and old 2d games and so on<= And why Microsoft/Wacom/Hardware manufacturers aren't doing as much as we would like them to do about it, simple People aren't buying tablets.

  2. GottaBeKiddingMe

    06/16/2010 at 9:37 am

    This post confirms my suspension that GBM has abandoned the ranks of “technology site” to become a “shopping site”. All that seems to be covered here anymore is purchases and purchasing. It certainly is not a place to learn about technology and application scenarios. Normally, we call that a shift from computers to consumer electronics. I invite you to look at the distribution of your coverage and then the market share of what you cover, and you will find that you’re giving prominent promotion to niche consumer electronics that are not mainstream computing, provided that you’re willing to define objective concepts like “mainstream” in terms of numbers and not emotions, marketing, or your personal preferences.

    For example, the industry coined the term “slate” to refer to a specific form factor. It took as inspiration the rock slab that would be used for chiseling to hold the writing of a stone tablet. This is why the industry adopted the term “tablet” to refer to a computer that you could write on. First, “tablet” is an industry term not to be confused with the Microsoft-specific term of “Tablet PC”. Second, not every tablet is a slate. For example, there are tablets that have fixed screens like a notebook, and others are convertible, offering slate-like modes and notebook-like modes. It’s the ability to write on them that makes them tablets. Some devices that are pure slates or offer a slate-like mode without the pretense of tool-assisted writing. While these are slates, they are not tablets. If they have touchscreens, then these are either called panel computers or touchscreen computers. Even if they are not pure slates, these names still apply. You are promoting an article that doesn’t understand what a tablet is, and you’re certainly not helping by not correcting the references to the technology. Moreover, you have a vast experience with touchscreen/panel computers from the UMPC/origami era. You certainly could have chimed in if you wanted to add something. I think that everybody with actual experience and knowledge about slates and touchscreen computers expects the “tablet” revolution of 2010 to be the bell-bottom pants of the computer industry. They look cool, but they are totally impractical. Not even Apple has enough marketing prowess sufficiently braindead fanboys to convince people that a touchscreen slate is a worth while computing companion. The problem is a hardware and physiology problem and not a software one (Apple considers itself a software company, dont-ya-know?).

    It’s shocking how much technology knowledge and insight has been drained from this website. I guess I just miss Rob. Maybe things were different when the guy running the show understand the vakye if technology because he earned his money rather than begging his “community” for it. Thanks for perpetuating confused information from a non-technology website and adding to the confusion of uninformed consumers. Thanks for adding to this article a comprehensive list of all of the tablets that are currently offered with a Microsoft OS and all of the tablets that aren’t being released because they’re not happy with Microsoft. This was once an ideal outlet of novel news, analysis, and insight. Now, there’s nothing offered here on a daily basis than can’t be on that found on hundreds of other places on the web. It’s a bunch of “yeah me too” and “yeah, what he said” posts, and the careful lack of understanding and analysis into the world of technology has allowed cause it to degenerated into yet-another-Apple promotional vehicle. Enjoy your nightmare folks.

    Feed unsubscibed. Bookmark deleted. Best of luck to all, and thanks for the memories. You’ll be missed, but I won’t. –Stacy

    • AP

      06/16/2010 at 10:18 am

      Stacy,

      Well said. I totally agree with you. Miss Rob and other guys. Miss all those inkshows. GBM (including Warner) used to do bunch of tablet inkshows made by HP, Lenovo, Dell, Fujitsu and other tablets. Now more than 50% posts are Apple related. It is sad to see this site has become another Gizmodo. Haven’t deleted the bookmark yet but it is way down in my Gadget bookmark folder. Really sad to see such a great website becoming (may be unknowingly) another marketing tool for Apple.

    • Paul Harrigan

      06/16/2010 at 11:24 am

      Stacy,

      I am going to suggest a dissenting view.

      I think the site is heavily about Apple these days because Apple is key to the mobile area these days. I think you are right about the “tablet” terminology, but that is how the rest of the world is speaking, so GBM is simply speaking with common terms.

      I miss the ink shows too, but I frankly do not feel that there has been much to show. We are in a difficult time, where Apple’s development got a long way ahead of the market.

      Ironically, Bill Gates gave a speech when he opened the computer center at my alma mater in which he said that Apple had lost the battle with Windows due to speed of execution. Now, Apple is executing far more quickly than Microsoft. The entire Windows/Office ecosystem is awaiting a response to both the IPAD and the IPhone. Ballmer admits that he blew the latter. Something really needs to be done about the former.

      I don’t think the problem is purely with the technology either. In my mind, therefore, the article has merit, even if it is more of the “see what someone else had to say” variety that we get too much these days, and GBM is speaking Apple because the market is speaking Apple.

      With that said, I do wish GBM was covering the technology more — that is a difference from Rob’s days.

    • tabletenvy

      06/16/2010 at 5:48 pm

      Stacy,

      Sorry you feel compelled to leave the GBM community. Personally, I recognize the unenviable position the GBM staff often find themselves in when it comes to determining the content for the site. They will potentially draw the ire of strong proponents from either the Apple or tablet PC camp when they try to strike a balanced viewpoint. They also have Rob’s legacy to live up to.

      Hats off to you guys. It’s a dirty job… I’m just glad somebody’s doing it.

      tabletenvy

      “Change is inevitable – except from a vending machine.” ~Robert C. Gallagher

    • Mike

      06/17/2010 at 6:47 am

      So you are mainly unhappy that GBM is not chiding people about non-adherence to uptight linguistics policies which you seem to think industry oaths have been sworn to?
      And you are pretty sure apple ipad, and anything similar, will fail as it doesn’t meet your particular needs?
      Then throw in a personal attack for good measure.
      Whatever valid points you made, you have couched heavily in craziness and rudeness.
      You are at least correct in summation that you won’t be missed – at least by me.
      I hope they returned your subscription fee to you.

  3. Mickey Segal

    06/16/2010 at 11:09 am

    By what percent is battery life decreased by having a full OS and the CPU needed to run it instead of a stripped down OS? If the number is 80%, the stripped down approach looks like the winner for at least a few years. If the number is under 50% or can be brought there soon, the stripped down approach will face significant challenge from real computers in the same form factor.

    There are real advantages to having your main computer be portable and dockable at your desk. Many of us were disappointed that Apple didn’t do a full computer version of the iPad, and that HP ditched Windows in favor of a stripped-down OS for its slate.

    People claim that an iPad can run for a few days of their typical workplace use before needing to be charged. I’d be satisfied with one day of typical use if I got a real computer rather than a slave device I needed to sync and needed to rely on the manufacturer’s choice of what software I could run.

    Historically Apple, through its integration of hardware and software production, has been much better than the rest of the market at doing “jump the chasm” type of innovation in which hardware and software changes need to be coordinated. But others get the idea, and at least in the past won through providing a more open environment.

  4. sbtablet

    06/16/2010 at 12:38 pm

    Stacy,

    I beg to differ. GBM is not and does not resemble a gadget shopping site. I do think that GBM is suffering from REAL LIFE. GBM was begun as a site to explore the fascinating world of mobile tech, with an emphasis on tablet pc’s and inking. We all know that Microsoft has all but abandoned ink technology. We all know some of the circular reasons. The only new mobile tech developments in town are the new lite tablets and touch screen phones. Everything else is being updated with nothing new. I gather people are getting stingy with demo models to review, since our reviewers are having to personally buy the items they are reviewing lately. If you don’t like the products that are coming out, well many of us are sad and disappointed by the lack of ink support. You can’t really blame the GBM crew for that.

    If you don’t like the lack of original reviews and inkshows, well, there I can agree, at least somewhat. Everybody at GBM has a day job and a real life. Daughters and mothers with life threatening issues take up a lot of time, rightly so. Others can try to pick up, but it doesn’t always feel the same.

  5. Sumocat

    06/16/2010 at 1:52 pm

    Just FYI for everyone still subscribed, I just completed my evaluation of the T-Mobile WebConnect rocket and Fujitsu Lifebook T900 and am working on putting the data together. The simultaneous evaluation saved time, but now I have material for both to sort through and try to present, hopefully in the coming week. Sorry the timing didn’t work out for Stacy.

    • DNel

      06/16/2010 at 4:47 pm

      I’m looking forward to these reviews. Hope they will be done as an inkshow or with numerous photos

  6. Warner Crocker

    06/16/2010 at 2:05 pm

    To all:

    Since Stacy has unsubscribed, I’m sorry she missed the excellent follow up, agreement, and disagreement with her points. She’ll also miss the follow up I’ll be writing soon. I’ll overlook the personal attacks to say that she’s got some good points, many we’ve made editorially here over and over and over again. That said, others in the thread have good points too. We’re talking about this thread quite a bit behind the scenes and will continue to do so. We all miss Rob, no one more than me, and I don’t think any of us ever thinks we could live up to his work and judgment. But you know what, I miss Tablet PCs, real Tablet PCs too. They come along once in awhile these days, and when they do we cover them. I’ll have more to say about that soon.

    Oh, and by the way, look for a real Tablet PC (yeah, that niche market thing) InkShow next week.

  7. Xavier Lanier

    06/16/2010 at 2:23 pm

    Hi all, thanks for all of your comments, suggestions and criticisms. Sumocat, Warner and the rest of us GBM contributors put a ton of time and effort into this site. Far more goes into GBM than what may meet the eye and while short blog posts may not be ideal, sometimes that all ‘life’ allows for.

    We’re certainly open to suggestions and willing to make adjustments as we go. We simply ask that the discussion remains civil and that everyone treats each other with respect.

    We’ve certainly covered Apple much more in recent months. This is due to our interests in touch devices and the slate form factor. With more than 2 million iPads sold and close to 100MM iPhones/iPod Touches sold, it’s tough to argue that Apple hasn’t taken the touch and slate computing by storm. A lot of what GBM contributors and readers have been pushing for (more touch and a non-notebook form factor) is finally here with the iDevices, though they might not be exactly what some were hoping for.

    Can we do a better job covering news items, offering opinions and reviewing products? Absolutely. There’s always room for improvement and Rob sure does have a big pair of shoes to fill. We’re actually in the process of looking for more help around here if you know anyone that wants to contribute :-)

    As Sharon pointed out, GBM never has been and never will be a ‘shopping site.’ We often share our shopping experiences and often compare notes. It just so happens that most of the GBM and Notebooks.com staff have purchased one or more Apple devices in recent months.

    We’ll do our best to cover products/services that may interest you and respond to constructive feedback.

  8. Harry

    06/16/2010 at 2:31 pm

    I agree / disagree with almost all of you!? While we all have a bug up our… What the hell happened to an ink-show on the HP Tm2t Warner? Did I miss it?

    Keep up the great work / reviews guys.

  9. Bobby Brooks

    06/16/2010 at 4:23 pm

    Microsoft is soooo out of the game. They are FUBAR.

  10. ChrisRS

    06/17/2010 at 2:14 pm

    The near total lack of news (new models, updates, refreshes, press releases, announcements, etc.)regarding true TabletPCs with ink capabilities has resutd in a lack of reportinhg! Duh! WHAT DO YOU EXPECT? GBM reflectes the stare of the industry. Right now, Apple is the standrd to meet or beat. iPad and iPhone ar not products I want or need, so I will wait.

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