'Leaked' Dell plans date Windows 7, 8 tablets

by Josh Lowensohn

Dell's recently unveiled Windows 7 tablet could be in the hands of consumers as soon as mid-May, with a follow-up device in January that would run the next version of Windows.
That's according to Android Central, which, along with sister site WP Central, says it has acquired from a tipster rough release plans for Dell's portable devices.
The plans--which include information on a handful of Android devices, including four tablets--also tease a version of Dell's Venue Pro Windows Phone 7 device, which will bring "additional features and enhancements" and arrive in mid-April. That's followed in July by "Wrigley," a Windows Phone 7 slider that will sport a "Next Gen" version of the OS, which could simply be referring to Microsoft's planned update that will bring multitasking and a beefed up version of the IE9 browser.

Plans shown on the Android Central blog, with a mysterious "Windows 8" tablet slated for January.

(Credit: Android Central)

 

As for the Windows tablets, there's "Rosemount" which is the 10-inch, Windows 7 tablet Dell unveiled in wooden mock-up form just last week. That's slated for arrival in mid-May, with "Peju," a "Windows 8" version, arriving in January 2012.
Microsoft, of course, has made no announcements on the date, planned features, or even the name of the next version of Windows. The most recent nugget of information given out by the company was at CES back in January, when it took the cover off plans to support ARM architecture so the OS could run on a wider range of devices.
When asked about the Android Central and WP Central reports, a Dell representative said the company does not comment on speculation or unannounced product plans.

Plans shown on the WP Central blog.

Cnet.com