Windows 8 tablet

Windows 8 tablet

Microsoft'sbeen pushing tablet computers for the best part of a decade, so you can imaginehow happy the iPad's success makes them.

 

But Microsoftdoesn't give up easily, and Windows 8 tablets will be one of the big techstories in 2012. So what's Steve Ballmer going to be shouting about when heshows them off?

Windows8 tablets will have the new Metro interface

As wesaw from the Windows 8 preview, Windows 8 tablets will have a marvellous newinterface that looks rather like Windows Phone 7, called Metro.

"Fast,fluid and dynamic, the experience has been transformed while keeping the power,flexibility and connectivity of Windows intact," says Microsoft's head ofWindows Experience Julie Larson-Green.

Windows8 screenshots

"Althoughthe new user interface is designed and optimised for touch, it works equallywell with a mouse and keyboard. Our approach means no compromises - you get touse whatever kind of device you prefer, with peripherals you choose, to run theapps you love. This is sure to inspire a new generation of hardware andsoftware development, improving the experience for PC users around theworld."

Butthe process hasn't been without difficulty for Microsoft. It has had to defendthe decisions it made with the Start Menu in Windows 8.

Inlate October 2011, Microsoft was also forced to talk about how Windows 8tablets would deal with portrait orientations - all the demonstrations thus farhave been of Windows 8 tablets in landscape.

Andin November 2011, rumours surfaced that ARM versions of Windows 8 tabletswouldn't have the traditional desktop as well as the new Metro interface - onlyallowing Metro apps.

Windows8 tablets' release date

InDecember 2010, the New York Times wrote that Microsoft would unveil tabletsrunning Windows 8 at CES 2011 in January, which proved to be incorrect.

TheNYT credited an unnamed source for the leak, which suggests that Microsoft'skeynote will be enlivened by the arrival of the next generation of Windows, aswell as Samsung and Dell tablets. As it turned out, no Windows 8 tablets wereshown at the show.

However,the Windows 8 release date may be sooner than you think. A Windows 8 betasurfaced at Build, a developer conference being held by Microsoft in September,so we may be looking at a mid-2012 release.

ASamsung Windows 8 tablet was shown off at Microsoft's Build conference on 13September 2011. Check out our Hands on: Windows 8 tablet review

Afterit confirmed that it was to keep making PCs in late October 2011, HP also saidit would be making Windows 8 tablets.

Ithas also been widely reported that Dell is pinning its hopes on Windows 8 andthat it will be launching tablet products featuring the OS.

On 9May 2011, we reported on a rumour of a forthcoming Nokia Windows 8 tablet. Theinfo comes from phone commentator Eldar Murtazin, who wrote on the MobileReview forum that Nokia will launch a tablet in 2012, possibly pushed back to2013. Nokia said at October 2011's Nokia World that Windows 8 represents a"broader opportunity" for the company, (reported by TechCrunch).

NokiaCEO Stephen Elop later said that the company was looking at the tablet marketand is considering just how to take on the might of the iPad.

"There'sa new tablet opportunity coming... Unquestionably, that will change thedynamics [of the tablet market]."

Itwould appear the Nokia Windows 8 tablet could be slated for June 2012.

Aleaked slide from Netbooknews.de indicates that Asus will begin selling Windows8 tablets in Q3 2012.

Windows8 tablets will have a lot of support

Duringan earnings call in mid-August, Nvidia's Jen-Hsun Huang also said: "I'mvery bullish about Windows 8," adding: "I think it's going to be anamazing operating system. Windows 8 tablets and Windows 8 clam shells thatTegra is going into, I hope will translate into real growth for our company inthe second half of next year."

"We'renot leading the charge on Windows 8, but as we become comfortable that [Windows8] is a viable ecosystem [and] that the quality of innovation and quality ofservices and quality of capabilities [are] being delivered there, we willcertainly be open to that," he said in response to a question.

Motorolahas also said it is "completely open to Windows as a platform"according to Cnet.

Australiansite Smarthouse.au claims some vendors will even move away from Android tabletsin favour of Windows 8.

Windows8 tablets will be thin and light

WhileDell makes some unusually shaped tablets already, the Samsung tablet is"similar in size and shape to the Apple iPad, although it is not asthin." Unlike the iPad, "it also includes a unique and slick keyboardthat slides out from below for easy typing."

SomeWindows 8 tablets will be designed for business

"Thecompany believes there is a huge market for business people who want to enjoy aslate for reading newspapers and magazines and then work on Microsoft Word,Excel or PowerPoint while doing work," the NYT says, quoting theinevitable "person familiar with the company's tablet plans".

Windows8 tablets will have apps and an app store

Appsare a big part of Windows 8, with Microsoft convinced that "appdevelopment will move to the web" and building a Windows Store withmanufacturer-specific entrances. Again, we saw a lot more detail on this fromthe Windows 8 preview.

We'dexpect Windows 8 tablets to have similar specifications to other iPad rivalssuch as the Samsung Galaxy Tab or BlackBerry Playbook, essentially netbooks ina different form factor: a gigahertz processor, a gigabyte of RAM, 802.11b/g/nwireless and multitouch capacitive displays. Expect lots of connectivity too,with USB ports a key selling point.

Windows8 tablets will run on ARM, Intel and AMD chips

 

On 18May 2011, Intel confirmed that there will be separate editions of Windows 8that run on ARM processors as well as standard x86 processors from Intel andAMD - all companies involved are serious about tablets, though ARM has stolen alead; all major tablets on the market are ARM-based.

Thex86 versions of Windows 8 will feature a Windows 7 compatibility mode, whileARM versions won't.

But,as we've written, the different processor variants may pose a problem forMicrosoft.

Windows8 tablet prices should be similar to Android ones

Windows8 tablets will be up against iPads, Android tablets and Chrome OS netbooks, soif they're not priced very aggressively they're going to be a tough sell.