Microsoft, HP Launch Slate Tablet PC

Confirming the rumors of a brand new tablet PC, Microsoft and HP have unveiled an pint-sized tablet PC at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas, during CEO Steve Ballmer's opening key note speech. 

The device, which dubbed as "slate PC" type device, was exhibited by the CEO of Microsoft in front of almost 3500 strong crowed of news journalists, bloggers and tech experts. 

The HP tablet PC, Microsoft explained, was a 10-inch device that runs on Windows 7 and has a screen with multi-touch capabilities along with virtual keyboard. 

With this tablet PC, Microsoft and HP will target those customers who want a device which can function as an e-reader and PC at the same time along with web browsing capabilities. 

With this still unnamed device, Microsoft has secured entry into the e-reader cum PC market ahead of Apple Inc., which is expected to reveal its very own tablet PC by January’s end.

However, several industry experts believe that the world’s largest software company has sounded a battle-cry against Apple by calling the tablet PC a "slate", as according to several rumors, Apple plans to call its tablet PC, "iSlate".

At the announcement, Microsoft unveiled two other prototypes of the "slate PC", one developed by Archos that is a mid-sized tablet that resembles a UMPC.