AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Published: 8:01 p.m. Monday, July 11, 2011
Dell Inc. might be getting close to introducing a new Windows-compatible tablet computer, according to several tech websites that published photos of proposed prototypes Monday.
A list of tech websites all quoted from a blog called DellPejuInsider that disclosed what it said were Dell internal documents and photos of prototypes of the forthcoming computer.
Dell had no comment on the reports.
Jeff Clarke, Dell's vice chairman for global operations, said in an analyst meeting last week that the company intends to develop mobile Internet devices that are aimed at enterprise business users, but not necessarily consumers.
The blog showed a prototype bearing a Dell logo that had a 10-inch screen, weighed 1.9 pounds, ran with an Intel Core i5 processor and had Wi-Fi and cellular 3G and 4G connectivity.
The blog said the tablet used Microsoft Corp.'s Windows 7 software but added that it was "Windows 8 compatible," a reference to Microsoft's forthcoming software that is expected to be ready next year.
Dell already has a tablet called the Streak, based on Google's Android software. Sales of the Streak, introduced last year, have been disappointing, analysts say.
The "Peju" could be a way of attracting the interest of corporate buyers who are waiting for the arrival of Windows 8 before they commit.
Analyst Rob Enderle with the Enderle Group said such a Dell tablet could be a "placeholder product" for a stronger offering based in Windows 8 that will be available in 2011.
Enderle said he expects Windows 8 will be available in a test version late this year, so corporate buyers could try the new Windows software on a Dell tablet and see whether they want to buy it next year.
"Corporate buyers can test Windows 8 in advance with a product like this," Enderle said.
The tablet would underscore Dell's commitment to being a close partner with Microsoft in the tablet market. That tight alliance with Microsoft, something Dell has always depended on for everything from desktop computers to servers, "could be huge for Dell" in the tablet market, he said.
Analyst Roger Kay with Endpoint Technologies Associates said Dell's Streak tablet "has been a misfire. Dell tried the Android wagon, and it hasn't worked so well."
But Microsoft, a longtime business ally for Dell, could be a better fit than Google in the tablet market.
"Dell feels that it has to be in that market because there is a lot of focus that has shifted onto it and Dell does not want to be perceived as being left behind," Kay said.
"Their strength is not with consumers. Their take is to be well-suited for helping commercial customers. Having a tablet gives them bragging rights. If all you are doing is selling desktops, that is hard to do."
Tablet computers re-emerged as a promising market in 2010 with the introduction of Apple Inc.'s touted iPad. The IDC market research firm said it expects more than 53 million tablets will be sold this year, with Apple dominating the market.
Though the iPad has been a hit with consumers, analysts say that many corporations are waiting to see whether Microsoft can develop a tablet that is more business-friendly, with plenty of security features.
kladendorf@statesman.com; 445-3622
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