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jtqq ‘Tablets’ Aplenty Will Come Out at CES This W

Apple alone expects to ship 10 million tablet devices in its first year of release, former Google China president Kai Fu Lee wrote in his blog on Dec. 31, citing a person with knowledge of the project. Notion Ink expects to produce 1.5 million units of its tablet device for the U.S. market in its first year.

The Microsoft Courier, a dual-screen tablet computer that first appeared last year in promotional videos leaked to the press, could make its big debut at CES. Chief executive Steve Ballmer plans to demonstrate the Windows 7 operating system on new devices, according to a person familiar with the matter. With all eyes on Las Vegas, what better way to give the Courier a boost? A Microsoft spokesman declines to discuss plans for the Courier or any new hardware devices the company might unveil at the show.

Notion Ink will introduce its device in early January at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Boasting a 10.1-inch touchscreen,mbt review, Notion Ink’s tablet is larger than a mobile phone but smaller than a traditional laptop. It’s designed for people who want easy access to the Web, online videos, and a wide range of other applications without having to boot up a bigger, more powerful computer. Notion Ink CEO Rohan Shravan says he plans to show off the first prototype of the device in early January, partly to entice consumers who might otherwise hold out for Apple’s long-awaited device. "We are pushing to launch before Apple," Shrivan says.

'Tablets' Aplenty Will Come Out at CES This Week

For a device that has yet to be introduced, the tablet expected from Apple this year is whipping up a lot of buzz in the blogosphere. A tiny Indian startup called Notion Ink hopes to steal at least part of Apple’s thunder by unveiling its own tablet weeks before its bigger rival.

Analysts say tablets will become a big business this year. Spurred on by the explosive use of mobile content, the ubiquity of wireless networks, and the increasing affordability of touchscreens and powerful chips, device makers hope to tap demand for larger handheld computers that can outperform mobile phones. By the end of 2010, tablets could make up a $3.5 billion market,uggs sale, says John Jacobs, director of notebook market research for Austin-based DisplaySearch. "We’re talking about a brand-new market,&quot,mbt shoe; he says.

tablet-pioneer Microsoft ’s Courier?

Whether they tout wares at CES, or wait until after Apple shows its hand, tablet challengers face an uphill climb against Apple, which has piqued public interest in tablets without even making an official announcement,. "Apple is going to set the bar whenever it does enter the market," says Roger Kay, founder of Endpoint Technologies Associates.

A host of other hardware and software makers with the same strategy in mind are expected to showcase their own tablet computers at CES, which gets under way on Jan. 7. Microsoft (MSFT), Dell (DELL), Lenovo, and Asus may be close to unveiling their own tablet computers. Several could use the CES stage to try to steal the spotlight from Apple.

Facebook gave its homepage a makeover&hellip,mbt review;again. Last Friday the social networking site quietly rolled out some fairly significant changes to the way information is displayed on your homepage. The updates make the default feed more like it was before the last major homepage overhaul, but the changes aren’t without some issues, and they have sparked some backlash among Facebook users.

Facebook Makeover Faces Backlash