Microsoft’s Ballmer says small tablets aren’t PCs-PriceAngels

On stage at the Build 2013 conference, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer stated that small Q88 Tablet are not PCs. Ballmer, speaking about how important small tablets can be, said he “wouldn’t call them PC’s, but there will be Windows small tablets.”Like the Xperia Z, the Tablet Z shares a nearly identical user interface, but slightly revamped to take advantage of the extra 5.1 inches of display.

Funny enough, this statement directly contrasts how Microsoft is pitching its flagship tablet device, the Surface — a device that’s just a few inches larger than a quite famous small tablet, the iPad Mini. Even the product’s main page calls it “the new tablet PC.” The fine line between tablets and PCs continues to blur, and this is not a new debate, but it’s highly interesting to see where Ballmer draws the line.

According to Ballmer, Windows fans should expect to see “a proliferation of Windows small tablet devices over the course of the next several months.”Barnes and Noble said Tuesday that it will stop making Nook tablets in-house and look for manufacturing partners for the devices. While the firm will continue to develop and make e-ink readers, it will no longer make its own devices to vie for the growing but crowded tablet market.

The news came along with a rough earnings report for the bookseller, which first announced that it would try its hand at the tablet market just two years ago. Despite efforts to prop up the Nook line with lower prices, the Nook department’s revenues fell by 16.8 percent to $776 million.Unsurprisingly, Sony has brought its Omnibalance design found on the Xperia Z to it's tablet cousin. Sony's Omnibalance design is defined as minimal yet distinctive, and that's pretty much what you'd call the design of the Tablet Z in a nutshell.


The tablet avoids the swooping curves and rounded edges found on many tablets today to bring a stark contrast that works very well. The rounded edges that do exist on the corners are very subtle. There's a touch of elegance to the simplicity of the overall design and we think it would be a pretty great addition to the living room (due to its IR Blaster for controlling the TV) and just about anywhere else.sd3SD2d43

Outside of its water and dust resistant capabilities, the 7 inch tablet feels pretty durable. Sony clearly went heavy on the plastics when it made the Tablet Z, but the skeletal frame lining the sides of the entire tablet certainly makes it feel like the device can take a beating.

Of course, we'd love to see the Tablet Z built out of better materials, but this likely wouldn't allow Sony to boast about the tablet's light weight feel, so there's a bit of a trade off. I personally don't see the build quality of the tablet to be much of an issue to owners.