photoby: Gizmag.com

Over the years, Apple Inc. has been consistently top in its field. Needless to say, market appeal of Apple products are incomparable than others. But not recently when smartphones and android tablets from other reputable brands have dominated the market. However, there is one product that somehow stays on top despite the tough completion: the iPad.

iPad, being one of Apple’s gem, which is now on its third upgrade, has faced numerous rivals. Many androids which serve as platform for audio-visual media have been in the market for quite sometime but somehow nothing proves to outshine Apple’s tablet computer.

However, many are saying that 2012 is the year that iPad’s reign will end as Microsoft is said to be launching its latest touch screen slate which runs in Windows RT, a feature of the anticipated Windows 8. Rumors have been circulating that the Redmond-giant is cooking up something that would put the company directly in competition with Apple’s iPad.

Well, this is something huge as we know that iPad3 (third generation) has been unveiled just recently. With the powerful features that the new iPad have such as its dual core A5X processor with quad-core graphics, can we expect something more powerful from Microsoft? The features of iPad3 seem hard to top. Not to mention that we have seen other Microsoft products before which failed to outshine and keep up with iPad’s popularity.

Notably, Microsoft had launched devices which directly challenged iPad before. If you could still remember the laptop hybrid with stylus and the Courier – a foldable dual-touch screen tablet were launched. Both have great hardware and software features. However, both were also failure in its attempt to end iPad’s rule.

The rumor that Microsoft will manufacture this touch screen tablet accordingly came from a person who has knowledge about the company. The Wrap reports that the particular person said that Microsoft is in the process of “making a foray into a new hardware category that would put the company in direct competition with rival Apple.”

Features and components of the software giant’s “new product” weren’t revealed in details. All we know is that it will be powered and anchored with Windows 8. Although we have taken a glimpse of how awesome Windows 8 is, many are uncertain that this facet is enough to draw the public from choosing the new tablet over iPad3. Windows 8 could offer a variety of applications for the platform ready to be integrated on PC, phone and tablet. But are the high-end facets of the new flavors of Windows software enough to end the reign of iPad?

Well that is hard to answer for now. With the presence of other powerful and affordable tablets and androids in the market today, introducing another product that directly challenges existing ones is indeed a risk. What we can do as of the moment is to wait and see what Microsoft can offer us. After all, this is a business. We’ll go for the ones that could offer us the best value for our money.