Rumour: Microsoft to launch own-brand tablet today

Software vendor expected to unveil a Windows 8 device this evening

Speculation is rife that Microsoft will today take the fight to Apple and Google by launching its own-brand tablet.

The software giant is expected to unveil a device based on Windows 8 at an event in Los Angeles this evening, according to a flurry of news stories over the weekend.

Microsoft has so far failed to tap into the boom in tablet computers, a market set to virtually double to 119 million units in 2012 according to Gartner. Between them, Apple's IOS and Google's Android platforms are set to account for a whopping 93 per cent of the market this year, the analyst believes.

And with PC sales flat, Microsoft is keen to break into the tablet sector under its own steam rather than merely licensing its software to other hardware makers, if the rumours are to be believed.

Other major IT vendors – most notably HP with its TouchPad – have struggled to challenge Apple's dominance in the tablet market and analysts are already questioning whether or not Microsoft's bid for glory will be any more successful.

"Telling compelling marketing stories to consumers for the most part is not something Microsoft has demonstrated an ability to do," Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg told Bloomberg, adding that Xbox was an exception that proved the rule.

Tonight's event could see Microsoft announce a content deal using its new SmartGlass app, according to the Guardian's report, while the rumour mill suggests the tablet might also have access to an e-book store.