Microsoft tablet computer fails to impress

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- U.S. software giant Microsoft Corp. said it had partnerships to build three different tablet-style digital readers, which failed to wow investors.

Microsoft shares fell in public trading Wednesday, as did shares of Hewlett-Packard, one of companies using Microsoft software to push into the market of digital readers -- thin, slate-like touchscreen devices used to download books, newspapers and magazines and display the content on a screen.

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Microsoft's Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer unveiled a Hewlett-Packard tablet "as portable as a phone and … as powerful as a PC running Windows 7," he said.

PC World reported Thursday that the reader was similar to others on the market, but added color options. It is expected to hit the market this year.

A tablet-style computer from Archos will be geared toward multimedia -- able to run movies and display books. A Pegatron device with a large screen is aimed for an audience of newspaper and magazine readers, PC World said.

Samsung, Plastic Logic and Spring Design also plan to unveil new digital readers at the show, eWeek reported.

Samsung's product adds a stylus for users to take notes and includes batteries the company says last up to two weeks, eWeek noted.