We’ve told you about Microsoft and HP killing their plans for Courier and the Slate a few days ago, but it seems that the giant from Redmond is not killing the idea of a touch tablet, as they’re secretly working on Menlo, a version of mobile OS that should use the Windows NT core and replace the aging Windows CE, found in many of the devices we use today on the road. The big plan is to unify kernels in Windows 7 (and future desktop OSes) with Windows Phone Series 7 and tablets so that Windows developers can easily port an app from one device to another by just changing some UI elements to adjust to the new screen resolution and device capabilities.

    It all sounds interesting but it remains to be seen if and when Menlo shows up. The idea behind it is good, but you need more than a bit of code for it to work. You need it to be done perfectly, just like Windows 7 was done, trashing Vista numbers in just a few months from launch. Also, in a recent interview, Bill Gates told the press that Microsoft is pursuing other tablets and they believe pen input is the future for students. I hope he’s kidding, as we all got sick of using a stylus in our Windows Mobile devices.

    Source: Gizmodo