The Tablet PC has long been a pet project for Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who showed the first Tablet PC prototype in 2000 at Comdex. Mr. Gates described the device, which featured input via stylus only, as an evolutionary step in PC functionality and usability. For the next ten years leading up to CEO Steve Ballmer‘s introduction of the new “slates”, which support Windows 7 touchscreen features, the company has tried to make the Tablet catch on but with little success according to PCWorld.
Microsoft may be bringing Office to the iPad next year, according to a report in The Daily. The report cites unnamed sources and says that Microsoft (MSFT) will also update its version of Office for the Mac next year.
On a business level, it might make sense the Apple (AAPL) iPad is making inroads into the enterprise, and having some sort of Office client available for it would let Microsoft earn at least some money from these Apple invaders. It would also help make sure that Office 365 the company’s cloud-based business services would work on the iPad according to the BusinessInsider,
Microsoft might even do this at the risk of driving some enterprise customers to stick with iPads instead of adopting Windows 8 tablets. After all, Office and related back-end products have been driving Microsoft’s growth for the last year, while Windows sales have been pretty stagnant (I wrote about Office’s profitability here).
The BusinessInsider points out that Microsoft has NEVER released Office for the Mac in the same year (or before) Office for Windows. Microsoft is building Office 15 for Windows. It’s going to be a ton of work to revamp it to work with the Windows 8 tablet interface, or risk having it relegated to traditional PCs only (and having one less reason for customers to choose Windows 8 tablets). The Mac version of Office almost always comes a year after the Windows version. It COULD be different this time, but that would require a diversion of resources to a minority platform (the Mac still has less than 5% market share for personal computers).
Microsoft said through a spokesperson: “We already deliver Office on multiple platforms and devices and are committed to expanding in the future, but have nothing further to share today.”
BI says that expanding Office to the iPad is not crazy.
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The Dell Streak 7 tablet won’t even get to turn one year old. The BusinessInsider noted that Dell (DELL) is pulling the plug on its unremarkable tablet, as indicated on its site.
This is only shortly after discontinuing the Dell Streak 5 as well.
BI recalled Walt Mossberg‘s February 2011 AllThingsD review of the tablet, he sums it all up with one sentence: “I found the compromises Dell made to get to that low price make it impossible for me to recommend the Streak 7.”
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I wrote about hardware companies abandoning the tablet market in 2012 here. Does this move make Dell a market leader?
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The BusinessInsider noted this excellent chart from Horace Dediu @asymco as proof that the PC is dying a slow, painful death. Mr. Dediu’s chart shows PC sales, including Google (GOOG) Android and Apple (AAPL) iOS devices, from the dawn of time to today.
As you can see, PC sales have started to go flat. Based on recent numbers from last quarter, they may have already hit their peak.
Meanwhile, Macs are gaining steady momentum while Android and iOS tablet devices are blowing up.
One thing BI thinks could break the trend is all those fancy new Ultrabooks displayed at CES. Those could give PC sales a major boost considering how cheap and efficient they are.
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Apple Sues Chinese Outfit for Heresy
Apple (AAPL) is suing a Chinese company for making graven idols of its founder Steve Jobs reports TechEye. Chinese company In Icons created an “eerily realistic” 12-inch action figure of Steve Jobs. TechEye says the model comes with the clothes and accessories such as the black faux turtleneck, blue jeans and sneakers. It was being sold in a box that looks like Walter Isaacson‘s “Steve Jobs” biography cover and comes with a chair, a “One More Thing…” backdrop, as well as two red apples, including one with a bite in it.
Apple sees this as an affront and has told In Icons that using Apple’s logo or products, or Jobs’ name or appearance, is a “criminal offense.” The article points out that the Pope and Elvis have similar deals on their merchandise.
But it is clear that its threat is going nowhere In Icons is not giving up.
Tandy Cheung, the entrepreneur behind In Icons told TechEye said that he was an Apple fanboy, and a lot of people like him want to have Jobs’ action figure. Cheung spoke with several lawyers from Hong Kong who told him that he wasn’t in violation unless he decided to brand any of his designs with Apple products or logos. He told IB Times that Steve Jobs was not an actor, he’s just a celebrity. There is no copyright protection for a normal person. Steve Jobs is not a product.
BuzzFeed updates that the promo pics from toy company In Icons might suggest that the late Apple co-founder comes with cool accessories, like an iPad tablet, but alas. For $99 all you get is the black turtleneck-clad 12” action figure, no assembly required. Due to U.S. release in late February.
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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.
The Bach Seat Steve Ballmer farewell tour continues as rumors swirl about Ford (F) CEO Alan Mulally taking over at Microsoft. Or will Bill Gates returning ala Steve Jobs to save Redmond. Whatever the grand poobah’s at MSFT are thinking. They will probably never find another CEO like Steve.
