Microsoft is Working on its Own Tablet?

Microsoft may be readying a tablet of its own as rumors of an Apple Tablet increase.

ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley and TechFlash’s Todd Bishop both received tips earlier this year that Microsoft was going to make another run at the Tablet.

Chief Experience Officer J Allard, who has been been noticeably absent from public appearances over the past few months, is supposedly leading the charge. I heard that at least one exec from Microsoft’s Surface team is part of the Tablet effort, too. Microsoft officials have hinted before that they’re set on building a smaller Surface. At one point, that project was going by the codename “Oahu.” But the new Tablet effort is allegedly part of something that is known as “Alchemy Ventures,” according to the couple of tips I’ve gotten on it to date. I wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft is waiting for Apple to show its Tablet hand before trotting out its revamped Tablet.

It is unclear whether Microsoft would release the tablet itself or use hardware partners to produce multiple designs.

In the same article Foley indicates that sources say Pink, a Microsoft branded phone, is being built on top of the Windows Mobile 7 core and won't be available till late 2010. Microsoft may however showcase the phone at CES 2010 since apparently they already chose an ad agency to handle the Pink campaign.

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