Dell has done its usual trick of teasing those who turned up to the the manufacturer's Business Event in San Francisco on Tuesday, with the promise that the company will launch a Windows 7 powered tablet later this year, but then failing to say much more than that.

In a move that many will see as the company taking on HP and its still yet to be released slate, the nameless Dell Windows 7 tablet will come with a 10-inch screen.

“Dell plans to extend its existing tablet portfolio with a 10-inch, Windows 7-based business-ready tablet later this year,” said the company. “The upcoming tablet is designed for end-users who need greater mobility, as well as IT organizations that demand control, security, manageability and integration with existing infrastructure investments.”

The announcement was buried in a much larger, more sweeping press release covering the company's complete business line-up for the foreseeable future.

That’s pretty much all the company is saying right now, and were it not for the chaps over at cnet.com being quick with their camera, we wouldn’t even have a picture.

Not that you can tell much from the plastic mock-up that the Dell man was holding when they snapped him. If that device isn't looking too hot, it's because, in reality it's just a rather expensive mock-up.

We’ve been privy to Dell’s mock-ups before. It's fair to say they are valid marketing tools for salespeople to give people a general understanding on what the product will look like and how heavy it will be, but that's as far as they normally go. 

Even a child would be disappointed.