Microsoft’s Upcoming Tablet May Involve Barnes & Noble

There are plenty of speculations around what will be announced in Microsoft’s mystery event in Los Angeles on Monday. However, it’s widely believed that the event is intended to officially announce a Windows RT or Windows 8 tablet. There are also rumors that the Barnes & Nobles is on tap and the tablet will be mostly entertainment driven, with support for Xbox Live streaming capabilities. However, some market analysts suggest that it’s unlikely for a Windows RT/8 tablet to be announced this early on such a small event. Windows 8 is a significant milestone for Microsoft and it is worthy of a major developer conference.

Microsoft and Barnes and Nobles announced a strategic partnership last April. Microsoft put $300 million into this effort for a 17.6 percent equity stake. This event could be the first result of the joint business, but it still doesn’t answer the question of why the event looks so bare.