Microsoft, HP to reveal their own tablet Wednesday

The New York Times reports — with no hedging words like “allegedly” — that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will unveil an HP/Windows tablet computer during his keynote speech formally kicking off the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

If there were a perfect time to beat Apple to the punch with a tablet, Ballmer’s keynote would be it. Thousands of gadget hounds and tech reporters will be in the room, many of them posting text and photos live from the keynote.

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The photo above, published in September on Gizmodo, was said at the time to be a Microsoft mockup for a tablet product.

New York Times reporter Ashlee Vance wrote today, “My sources say that Mr. Ballmer will show the as yet unnamed HP device. The product will be touted as a multi-media whiz with e-reader and multi-touch functions.”

Check out our CES 2010 coverage.