MacFlaunt

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s prediction that tablets will be the most popular PCs by 2006 never came true. Yet Apple’s iPad introduction on April 3rd triggered the world’s computer manufacturers to prepare their own alternatives, says a Wall Street Journal report.

Tablet PCs are not a common sight these days, but Apple’s anticipated move into the tablet market with the iPad has other large electronics manufacturers — such as Hewlett-Packard (HP), Acer and Sony — thinking of their own similar products.

The Wall Street Journal quoted on multiple anonymous sources familiar with HP, Microsoft, Sony and Acer saying that the companies are all keeping a close eye on Apple’s foray into the tablet market, with the hope to jump in as well.

First named in the report was HP, which already showed off its tablet offering, the Slate, before Apple. The company is said to wait until the iPad becomes available, so that it can tweak final details and pricing at the last moment. The HP Slate had a mixed reception when it was showcased in January, and the presentation lacked most specifications on the product.

Microsoft is also on the list, tight-lipped over the dual-screen Courier tablet. WSJ’s sources claim the Redmond company has several designers working in Seattle on the Courier, purportedly leaked last year, but that the tablet might not see the light of day.

Sony, which already has several models of e-ink readers on the market, is also considering developing full-fledged tablets. Acer came clean as well, saying it is planning launching several iPad-like devices, with the first model arriving later this year.

Apple’s iPad has clearly reignited attention on tablet PCs, yet it will be interesting to see what approach to this computing style manufacturers approach. By now, the most popular tablet-like devices were single-purpose ebook readers such as the Amazon Kindle or the Barnes&Noble Nook.

But Apple’s multi-platform media consumption approach to the iPad is changing the landscape. Tablets are believed to be the saviors of the declining news and periodicals’ revenue stream and print media overall, while opening new doors for video consumption as well.