Microsoft may preview Windows 8 at CES

At next month's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Microsoft will demonstrate a number of new Windows-run tablets and possibly even an early version of the next generation Windows 8 operating system, according to reports.

During his keynote on Wednesday January 5, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will unveil tablets, from Samsung and Dell and other vendors, that run on Windows, the New York Times reported, citing unnamed sources.

The newspaper also suggested that Ballmer's presentation will offer a glimpse of Windows 8 running on tablets.

The presentation will be one many industry observers are waiting for. Microsoft has fallen behind in the rapidly growing tablet market, where Apple dominates and Google's Android operating system is being harnessed by an increasing number of system builders. Research firm Gartner has estimated that 54.8 million tablets will be purchased in 2011.

During his 2010 keynote, Ballmer also promised that Windows-based tablets, otherwise called slates, would be released within the year, though none subsequently appeared.

Part of the blame for Microsoft's inability to penetrate this emerging market is being placed on Windows 7, which, critics note, contains too many small buttons and controls to work easily as a touch-based interface.

:story: Full story: Computerworld