Microsoft is considering making its own tablet, if Taiwan-based website, DigiTimes, is to be believed. According to the website, the company is working with Texas Instruments and Taiwan-based OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to produce the tablet. Microsoft, meanwhile, hasn’t commented on the reports.
The company reportedly intends to adopt the same marketing strategy it used with Zune and Xbox 360. In the past, Microsoft had come out with its own branded products including Xbox 360, Zune Media Player, and Kin smartphone. Of these products, only Xbox 360 succeeded in the market. That is probably the reason why Microsoft is continuing cautiously with this plan.
At first glance the report doesn’t seem to be true since Microsoft basically sells software to other computer and mobile manufacturers, but the company has tasted some success with its own branded products, and it may also feel tempted to use its Zune or Xbox brands to launch a tablet. The other OEMs who will be manufacturing Windows 8 tablets may not really be happy with Microsoft’s move.
ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley says the move might be to just make a reference tablet so that Microsoft may show the OEMs what kind of device to build. If it goes on to market its own tablets it would be antagonising to other companies making Windows 8 tablets, which would be a huge risk for Microsoft.