Apple iPad 3 vs Windows 8 Tablets: Can Microsoft Out Muscle Apple?

Don't call it Microsoft vs Apple, but the tablet wars are peaking in 2012, and if Microsoft can debut a Windows 8 tablet this year, it might be enough to out muscle even the mighty iPad 3. The iPad's dominance of the still very young tablet industry has every major computer manufacturer trying to build a tablet that can inspire shoppers to spring for their gear. Only the Amazon Kindle Fire has had much success, and that is largely due to its $200 price. We've already heard rumors of a possible seven-inch Google tablet, but we don't have any indication of what Microsoft might be leaning towards.

Would they go with a seven-inch tablet and try to convince people they don't need to spend $500 on a tablet? Or will they go all in and build a 10-inch tablet to try and chip away at some of the features in the iPad 3? While tablets are still secondary computing devices for most people and mostly luxury items, we tend to think if anyone can take on the iPad directly it's Microsoft. Yes, there are many Windows tablets out there already, but a new Metro designed Windows 8 is coming out this year.

That means the look and feel of the Microsoft system could be reproduced on PCs, tablets and smartphones. So, all the millions of PC users could have the same look and feel across all platforms,and that could be the incentive they need to make the jump to tablets. Start the slideshow to see some Microsoft concept tablets and what features they would need to measure up to the iPad. Let us know in the comments if you'd have any interest in a more consumer-oriented Microsoft tablet.

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