Microsoft HP Tablet PC Draws Apple Fanboy Ire

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Microsoft HP Tablet PC Draws Apple Fanboy Ire

http://www.crn.com/mobile/222200662;jsessionid=GWHQVCFB3MHFPQE1GHPSKHWATMY32JVN

By Steven Burke, ChannelWeb

11:14 AM EST Thu. Jan. 07, 2010

Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard, with a little help from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, showcased their much-ballyhooed tablet PC, dubbed Slate, at CES Wednesday night. But the device is being ridiculed hard by Apple fanboys in the blogosphere who say it has nothing on Steve Jobs' latest creation and is not so much a tablet as it is an attempt from Microsoft and HP to save face.

"The demo was pretty anemic, only showing a clunky Kindle application and fumbling around a video application which clearly didn't work like it was supposed to," wrote Seth Weintraub in a post on 9 to 5 Mac titled "Microsoft Gives a Weak Preview of HP Slate." It asked, "We wonder if anyone was calling this a "slate' a month ago?"

The much-anticipated HP tablet PC, powered by Microsoft's operating system software, is a direct strike against Apple, which is expected to unveil its own tablet computer in the next several weeks.

"Me suspects that Microsoft really has nothing under the hood of that thing and it will spend the next 9 months trying to clone whatever Apple unveils at the end of the month as if they had it first," wrote an Apple fan on 9 to 5 Mac . "Get those copy machines warmed up MS (Microsoft)!"

"All the Slate announcements at CES have been done out of fear: 1. Fear that Apple would get to market first, or 2. Fear of revealing an inferior product just before Apple's announcement," wrote another Apple zealot on 9 to 5 Mac . "The lameness of the HP Slate announcement is the result of fear #2. Microsoft is afraid of announcing an inferior, clunky device to the world just weeks before the Apple product is announced. So they'll wait until late January before cranking up the Apple-copy machines."

[Bonobo]

1. Jealousy is a very sad thing to see. nt

[SoxFan]

2. It will probably cost 40% less than Apple's

Apple doesn't realize what a bunch of pseudo-hipster elitist peckerwoods they look like sometimes.

[NYCGirl]

3. And have 10% of the usefulness of Apple's NT

[ProdigalJunkMail]

6. fangirl

[NYCGirl]

7. and computer professional NT

[ProdigalJunkMail]

9. as am i...fangirl

[NYCGirl]

11. and proud of it. NT

[ProdigalJunkMail]

14. proud of being a fangirl? n/t

[NYCGirl]

16. Yep. I have good taste. NT

[REP]

19. Yes, you do

Signed, fellow fangirl :-)

[ProdigalJunkMail]

22. zealots of a feather

:-) they are sexy machines...but i will never understand the undying love...oh well.

sP

[quiller4]

13. Actually it will be truly competitive.

[NYCGirl]

17. One word: ZUNE. NT

[anonymous171]

18. Apple fans will gladly pay for it though. Because it makes them unique. nt

[we can do it]

20. and Suck 100% more - what a deal!

[bullwinkle428]

4. I'm sure this will turn out to be nothing like the Zune.

[sharp_stick]

5. Kind of like golf for me

I like using Apple products and I like playing golf I just don't like the fanatics that I have to spend time with to do either.

[blondeatlast]

8. I was going to post something myself, but I can't top that one. Kudos.

:thumbsup:

[Mnpaul]

10. I picked up a tablet PC at a garage sale

for $35. Touchscreen, wireless keyboard etc....I don't see why everyone is getting excited about 5-10 year old technology. It can do what the Kindle does and much more.

Big yawn

[Edweird]

12. I've had good experiences with HP. We used HP notebooks, printers and IPAQs

in my construction company. Their level of integration was excellent. I had a bad WIFI adapter in one, which became a problem with a pimply faced know-it-all at CompUsa.....

If this thing will run MapPoint and Outlook, I might check it out.

[quiller4]

15. I've had great experience with HP at home and work in several offices.

I use an HP tower at home, a much older HP tower at my volunteer desk at church and an HP laptop for my volunteer bookkeeping for the nuns. I have 2 HP printers at home, one a simple ink jet and the other a three-in-one.

On the rare occasion when I've needed help from HP customer service, it has been smooth sailing. About 6 years ago I had a defective printer replaced at my then office. HP UPS expressed my replacement and picked up the defective machine. About 2 hours after the pickup, I got an email from HP customer service inquiry if the replacement was satisfactory.

All of this is in contrast to my former co-worker who seems to do battle with Mac on an almost monthly basis.

I don't even consider any other brand when I shop anymore.

[Tesha]

21. I understand that the first software update (fixing security problems) will be released on Tuesday.

Joking.

I think.

Tesha