In addition, a seven-inch tablet could be giving the public something it has been yearning from Apple, but that the company has refused to give it--although there's no end to the that such a device is in the wings. Introduction of a seven-inch tablet could be a pre-emptive strike against that vaporous Apple product.

Yet another theory about Microsoft's intentions Monday is that it won't introduce a true tablet at all, but an . It would be a seven-inch device, too, but might use Microsoft's mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7.

That's a very intriguing possibility because it has the potential to build on Microsoft's existing partnerships with and , and it's a path that's least likely to annoy the company's OEM partners who have already announced Windows tablets.

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