It’s almost here, the Consumer Electronics Show 2011 in “fabulous” Las Vegas. What will Microsoft say about its tablet strategy during the Sin City gathering? Heck, even mainstream news organizations like The New York Times openly wonder if Microsoft and its hardware partners can launch a credible tablet alternative to Apple’s iPad. Here’s what’s known so far.

Sure, The New York Times has written about a forthcoming tablet from Microsoft and Samsung; apparently, it’s set to compete directly with the iPad in shape and function, though it’ll be a bit thicker. The device will run Windows and come with a slide-out keyboard. According to the New York Times report, the tablet will have a special layered interface for using the device in portrait mode. Dell, meanwhile, is set to unveil its own tablet computer.

The Times also reports that Microsoft believes there is a lot of pent-up consumer demand for people who want their Windows environment and productivity applications on a tablet, especially businesspeople. (Not surprisingly, all of the details come from people who aren’t authorized to publicly speak about these new devices.)

Still, The VAR Guy expects Microsoft’s announcement to be slightly underwhelming. Why? Because RIM’s Blackberry Playbook is nearing release. Apparently, it has some impressive multitasking features and seems to blend ‘sexy’ with ‘business’ better than most things The VAR Guy has seen.

Oh, and by the way: All of those rival efforts could pale in comparison to Apple’s anticipated January 2011 announcement of the iPad 2.

Either way, January 2011 may prove that the tablet wars have begun.

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