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'Leaked' Dell plans date Windows 7, 8 tablets

Dell plans to bring Windows 7 tablets to market in May, with "Windows 8" tablets arriving in early 2012, according to a release schedule cited by a pair of blogs.

Josh Lowensohn Former Senior Writer
Josh Lowensohn joined CNET in 2006 and now covers Apple. Before that, Josh wrote about everything from new Web start-ups, to remote-controlled robots that watch your house. Prior to joining CNET, Josh covered breaking video game news, as well as reviewing game software. His current console favorite is the Xbox 360.
Josh Lowensohn
2 min read
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Dell's recently unveiled Windows 7 tablet could be in the hands of consumers as soon as mid-May, with a follow-up device in January that would run the next version of Windows.

That's according to Android Central, which, along with sister site WP Central, says it has acquired from a tipster rough release plans for Dell's portable devices.

The plans--which include information on a handful of Android devices, including four tablets--also tease a version of Dell's Venue Pro Windows Phone 7 device, which will bring "additional features and enhancements" and arrive in mid-April. That's followed in July by "Wrigley," a Windows Phone 7 slider that will sport a "Next Gen" version of the OS, which could simply be referring to Microsoft's planned update that will bring multitasking and a beefed up version of the IE9 browser.

 
Plans shown on the Android Central blog, with a mysterious "Windows 8" tablet slated for January. Android Central

As for the Windows tablets, there's "Rosemount" which is the 10-inch, Windows 7 tablet Dell unveiled in wooden mock-up form just last week. That's slated for arrival in mid-May, with "Peju," a "Windows 8" version, arriving in January 2012.

Microsoft, of course, has made no announcements on the date, planned features, or even the name of the next version of Windows. The most recent nugget of information given out by the company was at CES back in January, when it took the cover off plans to support ARM architecture so the OS could run on a wider range of devices.

When asked about the Android Central and WP Central reports, a Dell representative said the company does not comment on speculation or unannounced product plans.

Plans shown on the WP Central blog. WP Central