Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has reaffirmed the company’s commitment towards taking Apple on within the tablet PC market at a developer’s conference this week.

According to Reuters the highly animated Ballmer revealed that "this year, one of the most important things that we will do in the smart device category is really push forward with Windows 7-based slates, this is a terribly important area for us."

At present Microsoft will be providing the software power behind over twenty tablet devices which are expected to enter the market within the next year. These include Acer Inc, Dell Inc, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, Toshiba Corp, and Sony Corp.

Ballmer did not however reveal his feeling towards the much hyped HP Slate, which will operate using a system devised by Palm Inc, which it acquired this year.

The tablet market has quickly become an unexpectedly lucrative market since Apple kicked things off earlier this year with its iPad. Since its release the company has sold a staggering two million units.

It remains to be seen if Microsoft has the required savvy to take Apple on within its own market but it seems likely, given the sheer volume of devices Windows 7 will be powering, that the company will succeed in capturing a respectable market share.