Mini mobile computers spotlighted at tech show

LAS VEGAS - Call it a "slate" or call it a "tablet," the technology world is suddenly awash with a novel category of mobile devices seeking to grab the spotlight from a hugely anticipated product launch by Apple Inc. later this month.

Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Motorola and Lenovo are among the companies showing off thin, touch-screen computing devices at the Consumer Electronics Show.

These new portable gadgets are chock full of multimedia and Web-browsing capabilities, aiming to win over consumers by bridging the gap between smart phones and laptops.

They are jockeying for attention ahead of Apple's widely expected announcement of a 10- to 11-inch tablet computer on Jan. 27, which could redefine the category much as the iPhone did for phones.

Thursday, Microsoft Corp. chief executive Steve Ballmer introduced a touch-screen tablet computer from HP. The tablet, scheduled to go on sale this year, was one of several machines that Ballmer showed off at the industry show.

"We're talking about something that's almost as portable as a phone and that's as powerful as a PC running Windows 7," Ballmer, 53, said.

What's unclear is whether any of these devices, including Apple's, can persuade consumers to spend at a time when the economy is just beginning to stabilize and the pace of recovery is yet uncertain.

Motorola demonstrated a prototype "media tablet" with a 7-inch screen that runs on Google Inc.'s Android operating system and has room for 32 gigabytes of external memory. It can stream movie trailers from the Web, as well as download and store video to watch later.

Motorola said such a device could sell for around $300 and be ready commercially by the fourth quarter.

Ballmer did not give any details on when the HP tablet might hit stores, while Dell said it could bring a 5-inch slate to market this year.

These new devices appear to be distinct from electronic readers such as Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle, which are best used for books and periodicals and have little multimedia functionality.

With Bloomberg News