Microsoft and HP have teamed up to introduce a slate¹ computer ahead of Apple's much rumoured² device launch.

微软与惠普联手向大家展示一款平板触摸电脑，此款电脑先于谣传的苹果机的发布。

Analysts³ warn that a glut⁴ of these products will confuse consumers" width="226" height="170" src="/upimg/100108/4_052522_1.jpg" />
Analysts warn that a glut of these products will confuse consumers

The firms unveiled the Windows 7 powered touchscreen machine, also known as a tablet, at the Consumer Electronics Show国际消费电子展 (CES) in Las Vegas.

The aim of the device is to bridge the gap between消除……隔阂 laptops and smartphones.

Apple are also reported to be gearing up张罗着，做好准备 to launch a slate device in late January to go on sale in March, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The HP device is also expected to go on sale later this year.

"It's a beautiful little product," said Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer.

During his keynote address at CES, Mr Ballmer demonstrated the machine in front of an audience of over 3,500 press, bloggers, analysts and industry peers.

He also showed off two other tablet computers - one made by Archos and the other by Pegatron Corp.

Muted reaction

Reaction to the as yet unnamed device was somewhat subdued压制，减弱.

"What we saw confirmed my worst suspicions that this is your standard Microsoft software in a slate form," Paul Miller⁵, senior associate editor of technology website Engadget, told BBC News.

"It's an interesting product in itself but Microsoft could have gone further. It's not anything new in terms of software and that is what you really need to make a device like this make people want to buy it."

However, technology blogger Devin Connors of Tom's Hardware did not agree.

"It looked really good given the short amount of time we saw it for and it has Windows 7. Everyone loves Windows 7 and putting it in a device the size of an e-reader is probably going to be a winning combination."

The lack of enthusiasm for the product was in part due to speculation⁶猜测 about what - if anything - Apple may launch.

Rumours⁷ of a Apple slate - dubbed⁸ the iSlate - has dominated the blogosphere博客世界 in recent weeks, although there has been no formal announcement by the Cupertino-based company.

"Apple tends to change the game and this Microsoft/HP tablet didn't blow them out of the water," said Dean Takahashi of tech blog VentureBeat.com.

"How successful it will be is up in the air悬而未决, but HP is the biggest technology company in the world and can certainly put a lot of muscle behind the device," he told BBC News.

Microsoft is the world's biggest software company.