Microsoft has been in the tablet business for years. Well, supposedly anyway. I’ve never seen one on the streets, but of the two users who actually used one, they say Microsoft made an okay product. But after events full of promised Windows tablets, the Courier, and some HP Slate thing that’s gone nowhere, Microsoft is left wondering how the hell to advance. It boggles my mind that after ten years of research, they have nothing to show for it but a standard Windows OS slapped onto a sheet of plastic.

So what’s next? Microsoft is apparently dumbfounded at tablet interaction, so they want to study a few handfuls of iPad users to learn about gestures and related use scenarios. If you thought this was a forehead slapping moment, check out the quote from TechCrunch below.

Yes, Apple’s rival has created a Facebook event calling for iPad owners to come to Microsoft’s Redmond campus between July 16 and July 21 for a study. Specifically, it’s Microsoft’s User Research group and they want people for chunks of two hours to apparently survey how they use the device. A follow-up note indicates that it’s student iPad users that Microsoft is specifically interested in here.

At least they got the Xbox right. We’ll see if they ever get a good tablet out by 2015.

[via TechCrunch]