Following the announcement of the iPad’s international launch and the 2 million units sold milestone, the past few weeks have seen a flurry of tablet related announcements. Google’s Android operating system has leak onto tablets from almost every major hardware manufacturer including: Samsung, Acer, MSI and Dell with a rumored launch from HTC to follow shortly. These launches are pushing the limits of what we understand a tablet to be, with screen sizes ranging from 5 inches to 13 inches, it will be exciting to see what the market decides as the optimal size as we continue to experiment with touch-driven computing.

Not to be outdone by Google, Microsoft took hold of Computex in Taiwan and launched Windows Embedded Compact 7. Being a few months behind, it will be interesting to see how Microsoft handles the competition for deals with their traditional hardware partners as Android becomes a more attractive (and noticeably cheaper) alternative to Microsoft’s offering.

On the development side, the office iPad has been our test ground for sampling what the new form factor has to offer. Since the iPad’s launch we have seen some impressive apps emerge, most notably in the news category. USA Today, Thompson Reuters, BBC, NPR and most recently Mashable have done excellent work to distinguish themselves in the new form factor. These organizations have done the usability work needed to use the extra real estate effectively, providing more intuitive navigation and a better reading experience than is found on the comparison smartphone applications.

Needless to say, 2010 will be an exciting time for developers and consumers alike as we get to test out a whole new device category, figuring out how best to provide quick, easy and intuitive access to the content people want.