The Guardian (and many other tech sites) are speculating that Microsoft is prepping their own rival to the iPad, with an announcement due today.
The rumours have started to fly after journalists were invited to an event in Los Angeles tonight but were given no venue details yet.
With Microsoft falling behind Apple and Google in the explosive tablet market, there’s certainly a logic to the company getting involved, although it would be a break from how the software company traditionally operates.
Making the hardware and the software would however give Microsoft the opportunity to tightly control the entire tablet experience, much like Apple does with its wildly successful iPads.
Moreover, if Microsoft’s tablet can run Windows desktop programs too – like Photoshop and other industry standard applications – then it’s going to offer something that Apple’s all conquering iPad can’t.
It’s also been suggested that the tablet will be able to access ebooks using the technology Microsoft bought from Barnes & Noble’s for $300m in April 2012.
As with all these kind of rumours (which we’re normally loathe to post up) none of the above may come to fruition, although we are finding the case for Microsoft entering the tablet market more and more compelling.
We’ll keep you posted as soon as we hear more.
[Via]
