Dell has joined Apple in announcing a brand new device for the growing tablet market. However, unlike Apple's iPad 3, the new Dell slate will run Windows 8 and will be engineered primarily for business use.

Not much is known about the upcoming "business friendly" Dell tablet, except that it will run Windows 8.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg News, chief executive officer (CEO) Michael Dell said consumer demand for a Windows 8 tablet is growing, and his company plans to give them what they want.

Dell Tablet Focused On Security, Microsoft Office Compatibility

Michael Dell claims a Windows 8 tablet will be more useful than the Apple iPad for business users, because it can offer compatibility with the extremely popular Microsoft Office suite of applications.

Dell says it's also important to offer a device that focuses on security and securely connecting to corporate networks.

"Having a secure Windows tablet that works with all the Windows applications -- we're hearing a lot of demand for that and we think that will be quite attractive," Dell said. (Source: financialpost.com)

Of course, that might be a moot point for many consumers, given that Apple devices are rarely targeted by hackers.

Apple iPad Already Popular With Business Users

Experts suggest that Apple's competitors will probably say anything at this point to divert attention away from the extremely popular iPad.

According to reports, the Apple devices are already quite popular with corporations; the company is currently on pace to sell approximately $10 billion worth of iPads for business use this year. (Source: financialpost.com)

That number could actually grow, now that consumers have caught a glimpse of the iPad 3.

Apple recently unveiled the newest version of its popular tablet computer during a presentation in San Francisco, and the device appears to improve performance in virtually every category, over the iPad 2.

However, there's no doubt that Dell can have a huge impact on the market by offering its hardware for use with Windows 8, which recently entered the Consumer Preview stage of its testing regimen.

Experts say that an estimated 1 million people downloaded the operating system in just 24 hours. (Source: slashgear.com)