Apple is widely expected to launch a tablet style computing device Wednesday with an eye to grabbing first mover's advantage in what's expected to be the PC industry's hot new category for 2010. But Apple may not have the field to itself for long, as rival Microsoft is planning to get in on the tablet action.
The difference is that Redmond will likely attack the market through hardware partners like Hewlett-Packard and Acer, rather than introduce a Microsoft-branded device. Indeed, CEO Steve Ballmer demonstrated a prototype HP tablet powered by Windows 7 earlier this month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
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