Entrants Flood Race to Rival iPad .

A race to respond to Apple Inc.'s hit iPad gadget enters a new phase next week, as a host of companies use a Las Vegas trade show to talk up a broad array of tablet-style devices.

Companies expected to introduce touchscreen tablets at the Consumer Electronics Show include big names such as Motorola Inc., Dell Inc. and Acer Inc., as well as smaller manufacturers. Trying to stand apart, the devices will offer displays of various sizes and different operating systems. Some will have two built-in cameras; others none.

The stakes are high for many players—particularly Microsoft Corp. and Intel Corp., kingpins of PC technology that have so far struggled to match the momentum in tablets of Google Inc.'s Android software and chip designs from ARM Holdings PLC.

A number of firms, including ViewSonic, Dell, Acer and Asustek Computer Inc., are hedging bets on Android with additional Windows-based models. Still others plan to emulate Apple by using their own software.

For example, BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. has said it will use the QNX operating system for its seven-inch PlayBook, which the company unveiled in October and plans to sell for less than $500. RIM, which bought QNX Software Systems in April, plans to show off the PlayBook again at CES.

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Microsoft to Announce New Slates Aimed at the iPad

A decade ago Bill Gates, founder and former chief executive of Microsoft, presented a new class of computing to the world: a tablet PC that offered a fully functional computer with the “intuitive aspects of pencil and paper.”

Since then, Microsoft has struggled to gain traction with a slate-like device, yet each year the company announces new products, software or operating systems that try to promote a world of Windows-based slate computers.

Next month, at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Microsoft will give it another try, presenting a slew of new slates that it hopes will offer some competition to the Apple iPad, which has quickly become the leader in this market.

According to people familiar with Microsoft’s plans, Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s chief executive, is expected to announce a number of these devices when he takes the stage at C.E.S., showcasing devices built by Samsung and Dell, among a number of other manufacturing partners.

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Dell Rumored to Enter the Smartphone Race

When I posted my last blog about Android’s market traction, I left out a name: Dell Computer. According to today’s Wall Street Journal, Dell is close to completing the design of an Android-based smartphone. Dell’s spokesperson declined to comment on specifics, saying the company “hasn’t committed to anything.”

Should Dell count on smartphones to revive its sales and brand? The smartphone is a hot product category, but Dell is a newcomer to the mobile phone space. It would have to contend with sluggish consumer spending and fierce competition from category leaders Apple, RIM, and Samsung while at the same time building carrier relationships and retail presence. That series of tasks might be too complex an undertaking for a company in transition. Dell might be able to navigate through it, but there's also the risk that its smartphone will end up with the same mediocre sales figures as its Digital Jukebox (its MP3 player brand) or PDA products.

On the other hand, Dell’s entry into the netbook market is a sound move. This segment is an extension of the mainstream PC market. If Dell can make a netbook as thin as Apple’s latest Macbook, its product could be a resounding success. What could be another product segment with strong growth potential? Has Dell considered designing a digital book reader like Amazon.com’s Kindle? This product category is still evolving, meaning there is plenty of opportunity to improve form factor, function, and ease-of-use. Dell would be able to score better ROI in this product category than with the smartphone.

So, Dell is in the "Place-shifting" Business Now

Dell has introduced a place-shifting service called Dell Remote Access. The application features a simple to use browser-based interface that lets people connect and access their favorite content via their network of personal computing devices including desktops, laptops, ultra-mobile devices, smart phones and web cameras. Specifically, users can:

• Share files with friends, family and colleagues;
• Access and share files via Web-enabled mobile phones;
• Monitor network web cameras; and
• Do Remote desktop control to run home PC applications

The basic version of Dell Remote Access is free and provides PC-to-PC access for one PC. The premium version provides additional features like-file sharing, full home network device access, remote control of home PCs, and access via smart phones and other mobile devices. The Premium version is offered at $9.95 a month or $99 a year.