Windows Phone 7 can still help Windows 7 tablets, if Microsoft will let them

October 5, 2010 | By Surur

w7wp7 There is a rumour that that Microsoft will use its October 11th Windows phone 7 launch to also preview Windows 7 tablets. Some sites have even conflated the rumours and claimed Windows phone 7 slates are going to be presented.

We are not one of those – Steve Ballmer has made it very clear repeatedly that he sees the future of Microsoft on tablets as Windows 7. Of course the big problem with this is that Windows 7 has just not been designed for a full-touch interface, and even worse the library of applications have not been either.

Microsoft would need to address the user interface themselves, but for the application issue there is a simple solution – Windows phone 7 games and applications.

Windows Phone 7 is based on XNA and SIlverlight, both cross-platform intermediate environments which make the applications written for them compatible on the desktop, Windows phone 7 devices and even (for XNA) the Xbox 360. With rumours of 2000 Windows Phone 7 applications set to to be available at launch it would be a quick and effective solution for the problem. It would also increase the size of the addressable market for Windows Phone 7 developers. To close the loop of course Microsoft should port Silverlight to the Xbox 360 and have a 3rd party app store for the Xbox 360, to provide viable competition to the Apple TV.

Will Microsoft do any of this? Doubtful, but we hope to lends some support t the voices inside Microsoft who are very likely making the very same suggestions to Microsoft leadership.

What do our readers think. Would having an alternate user interface for Windows 7 tablets running Windows Phone 7 apps make the slates more compelling to you? Let us know below.

About Surur

Site Admin and Windows Phone enthusiast, he has been using Windows Mobile devices since before they were called PocketPC’s. He is currently sporting a HTC 7 Trophy.

Tagged editorial, slates, tablets, windows 7, windows phone 7

majg

I think they need something and something quick. What they should do is start manufacturing the goods from their consumer division themselves.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=505515024 John Bascom

I hate to say it but i think ballmer is dead wrong in this. If anything, the ipad proved him wrong, and it wouldnt be a huge change at this point to scrap that position and slap the embedded WP7 OS on tablets with ARM procs. But once google tablets come out and v2 of the ipad, it will definitely be too late.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001708982210 Sake Hoekstra

Looking at the UI, WP7 on a tablet makes the most sense to me.
Hopefully MS takes the WP7 on a tablet route.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1744702837 Justin Stehly

I think this would be the best thing they could do to tie in more of the three screens in the cloud that they always talk about.
mussab

I don't really see bringing such tablets a necessity.

I don't think that the iPad or such tablets will sell well in the long term.

Without a stylus, tablets aren't bringing anything more than what the laptop and the smart phone brings.

The only thing that they do better than these two devices is e-reading, and e-ink readers have a better and cheaper way to do it.

The Courier is the only concept that got it right, but i think that Microsoft didn't have the time (Win7, WP7, New Xbox, Kinect, … only in the last year!) or the appropriate technology to bring it to life.
techfete

Get all latest technology news about Apple Iphone, Ipad, google,Windows Mobile and lots more at
http://www.techfete.blogspot.com