Microsoft to Unveil Windows Tablet Lineup at CES [REPORT]

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Ballmer first showed off an HP tablet prototype at last year's CES, just a couple weeks before Steve Jobs announced Apple's iPad. Microsoft's so-called Courier was Microsoft's answer to the iPad. However, the project was axed just four months later, shortly after the iPad launched and started selling like hotcakes.

Still, the market is wide open for contenders to challenge Apple's dominance in the tablet space. Several Android tablets, including the Dell Streak and the Samsung Tab, are tiptoeing into the arena; and we're still excited to see what a Windows-powered tablet might look like... and what it might cost, as well.

According to The New York Times, Microsoft is set to announce tablets from Dell, Samsung and other hardware manufacturers. One of the most exciting rumors we've read is that at least one of these tablets will feature a slide-out physical keyboard -- that means this tablet won't be just a bright, shiny, app-laden toy for content consumption; it'll also be a useful tool for content creation and productivity.

Another cool rumor is that Microsoft is planning on an open app ecosystem for its tablet lineup; it will be less like the iPad's App Store and more like the Android ecosystem, where you can choose to download any application from any manufacturer via the web.