Microsoft offers extra-strength tablets
C|Net | at | by Mike
Microsoft on Wednesday added broader language support to its Smart Display and Tablet PC technologies and announced a manufacturing deal with Packard Bell. Packard Bell, NEC's consumer PC division, joins Samsung, ViewSonic and other display makers in manufacturing so-called smart displays. Packard Bell plans to start selling a 10-inch smart display in Europe by the end of the first half of the year. Microsoft has also greatly expanded language support for tablet PCs, with the beta release of Multilingual User Interface & Recognizer Pack (MUIRP). The final version is scheduled for July release. Smart Display-based and Tablet PC-based products let consumers and business people access information using a stylus instead of a keyboard and mouse, although there are major functionality differences between the two tabletlike devices.