Shy and retiring Microsoft CEO Steve “sound of one hand clapping” Ballmer has announced that Microsoft will compete with Apple in the iPad market after all.

For those who have short memories, Microsoft had a really good looking tablet which would have made the industry stand up and take notice called the Courier. However it was mysteriously never released, the team was disbanded and Microsoft handed the entire market over to Apple.

Well now it seems that Ballmer wants back in. He said that Microsoft was working with software partners such as HP, Lenovo, Asus, Dell and Toshiba to develop a tablet-style computer. Speaking at a financial analysts at a meeting at Microsoft’s headquarters in Seattle, Ballmer told the world that “We” have to make things happen with Windows 7 on slates.

“It is job one urgency around here, nobody’s sleeping at the switch. We’ve got to push right now – right now – with our hardware partners. As soon as they’re ready, they’ll be shipping. We want to deliver products
that people really want to buy,” he said. Ballmer added that he was impressed by the iPad, which ended up selling more than he expected.

It looks to us that Microsoft wanted to see if the iPad tanked before it came up with a budget machine that did the same thing. However he should have done this a long time ago.