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Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer took to the stage of yesterday’s BUILD conference to emphasise the benefits of hybrid and two-in-one devices over tablets.
Pitching the firm’s upcoming two-in-one devices, Ballmer opted to mock tablets and their inability to compete with hybrid devices for everyday computing.
"How many of us have gone to a meeting with somebody who brought a tablet and then when it comes time to actually take notes, writes them down on pencil and paper. Or can’t get at the spreadsheet…or try to use it in terminal emulator mode…or take [a long time] to set up and turn their tablet into something that approximates a PC," Ballmer said, reports CNET.
Ballmer continued to show off the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix – a Windows 8-powered two-in-one device, which sports an i7 processor, full day battery life, keyboard and built-in pen.
Using the ThinkPad Helix as its primary example, Microsoft stressed that two-in-one devices offer the full computing experience that users are after, providing a "powerful PC" and "powerful, capable…tablet" that negates the need for two individual devices.
Despite being a tablet itself, Microsoft extended its two-in-one strategy using its Surface device, given its inclusion of a physical keyboard and full Windows 8 OS, which is capable of offering the full Office experience.
Will hybrids take over tablets? We’ll see, but Microsoft certainly thinks so.
