Microsoft's latest Windows is a really attractive OS, and the tablets and hybrids we've seen so far are pretty impressive.
In a market where too many firms' strategy is simply "copy Apple", Microsoft is prepared to - yes! - Think Different.
Here are ten ways Windows 8 tablets could compete with the iPad 3.
TWICE AS NICE: Lenovo's IdeaPad Yoga is a tablet that transforms into a notebook, "like the Tablet PC but good"
CLOUD ATLAS: Microsoft's SkyDrive puts cloud storage, synching and sharing at the heart of Windows.
In a market where too many firms' strategy is simply "copy Apple", Microsoft is prepared to - yes! - Think Different.
Here are ten ways Windows 8 tablets could compete with the iPad 3.
1. Corporate customers
While many people do use their iPads for work, Apple hasn't explicitly targeted the big corporate market - and that's a huge business that Microsoft knows very well. Tablets that securely connect to corporate systems could be a big win for Microsoft here.2. New Office
Microsoft Office remains Windows' killer app, especially in the business market - one reason Microsoft's own Tablet PC didn't succeed was because Office compatibility was ''Sabotaged'' - so you can be sure that Office will be on both Intel and ARM-powered tablets. It'll be interesting to see whether Microsoft takes the opportunity to completely transform the Office UI for the ARM version: Office Metro-style, anyone?3. Dual-mode machines
The iPad is very, very good at what it does, and what it does doesn't include being a desktop device. Microsoft thinks there's an opportunity there. Fancy a tablet that's finger-flipping good until you dock it, at which point it becomes a "proper" Windows PC with am OS designed for your keyboard and mouse or trackpad? We do, and we really hope Microsoft can make it work elegantly. Windows tablets with split personalities could be a lot of fun, not to mention seriously useful - as would...4. Hybrid tablets
The combination of a dual-mode OS with dual-mode hardware - think Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/tablets/hands-on-asus-transformer-prime-700-series-review-1054037.or Lenova Idea Yoga (watch video) could be very interesting indeed. Tablets that effortlessly switch between work and play modes could turn out to be the electronic equivalent of daytime to evening workwear.
5. Mega Metro
Metro is Microsoft's newest, whooshiest interface, and we like it a lot. We're not alone: pretty much everybody who uses Metro likes Metro, and we reckon that if everything else - hardware, app selection, price and so on - were equal, some people would choose a Windows tablet over an Apple one because they prefer Metro to iOS.6. SkyDrive
Microsoft's vision for cloud-based sharing is very ambitious: your Windows ID will bring your stuff and your settings to whatever device you happen to be on, whether that's a tablet, a PC, an Xbox or something else. That's not just music: the goal is what Microsoft describes as "all your content. Anywhere."
CLOUD ATLAS: Microsoft's SkyDrive puts cloud storage, synching and sharing at the heart of Windows.
customers. We're working with major carriers to create a standard of performance [for water repellence] which can give OEMs something to work to when creating smartphones. There are several hundred pound gorillas in the phone industry, we've got the 'fruity companies' and the big Korean brands, and they're all becoming interested as they don't want to be second best in the market."
