Microsoft being secretive about ‘major’ announcement Monday
Jun 15, 2012, 8:32 AM | Updated: 10:41 am
Microsoft is being secretive about a “major” announcement it plans to make in Los Angeles on Monday.
The company invited media to an afternoon event, but it says it won’t divulge the location until that morning.
GeekWire’s Todd Bishop is heading to Los Angeles for the announcement.
“I get to spend the day in L.A. on Monday, ultimate destination still unknown,” tweeted Bishop.
Microsoft has declined further comment on details of what the announcement entails. But GeekWire reports a source told The Wrap that Microsoft will be unveiling a tablet.
“Whatever the case, it would be a huge break with tradition for the company,” writes Bishop. “Dating back to the very early days of the PC industry, Bill Gates and Paul Allen chose to stay out of the hardware business and instead supply the operating system and key applications for computers.”
But in recent years, Microsoft has had huge success with its XBOX units. Microsoft reports the XBOX 360 has been the top selling gaming console for the past 17 months.
If there is a new tablet, it’s believed it will run on the new Windows 8, which works across laptop computers, tablets and even televisions.
“Whether a Microsoft-branded tablet would be an effective competitor to the iPad or Kindle Fire is another question entirely, depending on a whole range of factors, from the quality of the experience to the price,” says Bishop.
Some are also speculating the Los Angeles location indicates a link to the entertainment industry.
In recent months Microsoft Corp. has made more TV programming available on its Xbox 360 video game console. Netflix Inc. is among the offerings on the Xbox, and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings is on Microsoft’s board.
Whatever it regards, the company says, “This will be a major Microsoft announcement, you will not want to miss it.”
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
