Windows 7 Tablets May Be Dead on Arrival

Round Rock, Texas-based Dell has yet to provide a release date for its 10-inch Windows 7 tablet, but a person familiar with the matter told Forbes a fall launch is most likely.

The cause of the delay is uncertain, but other devices with Windows 7 have experienced similar problems, hinting that tablet makers might be having trouble tuning Windows for their devices.

Some companies, such as Lenovo, have scrapped their plans for Windows 7 tablets entirely because its interface is better suited for a mouse and keyboard, while tablets need to be optimized for touch. Others have made it to market but received an underwhelming response. HP's Slate 500 launched in early 2010 but never seriously challenged the iPad, instead selling as a low-profile business tablet.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said last July that he expected to see an impressive array of Windows 7-based slates, but that hasn't turned out to be the case. And by the time they may roll out, it may be too little, too late: the handful of Windows 7-based tablets that do make it to market this year will quickly be obsolete when Windows 8 launches next year.

Unlike its predecessor, Windows 8 is optimized for touch screen technology and reportedly has a finger-friendly tile-based user interface. While it won't be ready for market until next year, there are rumors that an "Apple-like" prototype could be shown as early as June.

In the meantime, the iPad 2's wild popularity, along with a slew of Android-based devices expected to flood the growing market this year, will be stiff competition for Windows 8 offerings, if and when they arrive a year from now.

Players like Motorola, Samsung, Hewlett-Packard, and BlackBerry maker Research in Motion are already introducing their tablet devices this year and hope to be at the top of the food chain in 2012 when more than a 100 million tablets are expected to be sold, according to financial services firm Morgan Stanley.