The decision to get into the tablet space with its own hardware is a reversal of Microsoft’s previous stance where the company said it would partner with hardware makers instead of competing with them.
Microsoft’s own tablet could look something like this
If that sounds vaguely familiar, it should because Microsoft made a similar promise to portable media device makers before it jumped into the market with its own Zune product line. Instead of impacting sales of Apple’s iPod, however, Microsoft ate into its hardware partner sales.
The Microsoft tablet is expected to run the Windows 8 variant Windows RT on top of an ARM processor.
Considering the response most non-iPad tablets have received, there’s a possibility Microsoft will see a repeat of its Zune strategy where Apple competitors see the biggest hit. With the innovative interface Windows 8 brings to the table, however, Microsoft stands a better chance of making sales with its tablet unlike the Zune portable media players that collected dust on store shelves.
Microsoft hasn’t commented on what it will announce on Monday, and the company hasn’t confirmed that it is working on a tablet device.
[Some image components courtesy of Shutterstock]