Microsoft’s keynote address at this year’s CES got massive amounts of applause as their tablet lineup was introduced. It was fully anticipated that as we entered what analysts dubbed “the year of the tablet,” Microsoft would be a part of the race. However, company insiders are now telling us that the release cycle is being extended, and the Microsoft tablet lineup likely won’t be released until the next Windows operating system.
That operating system will be “Windows 8” (clever title, I know), which will have full ARM support; that is, the system will be designed to handle the hardware equipped in most modern smartphones and tablets. Beyond allowing for better ARM compatibility, the system will also be redesigned for touch-screen functionality.
The insider sources, who chose to remain anonymous, stated that the Windows 8 and tablet release should coincide with the “back to school” technology rush in 2012. This delay, which puts release a full year out from the originally anticipated timeline, fits perfectly well with the normal Microsoft time-line. After all, they delayed the release of Vista a solid two years; hopefully, the delayed release is the only similarity the next Windows iterations has with Vista.
Microsoft is already struggling in the world of mobility, with total sales on the Windows Phone 7 coming short of the opening day sales on the iPhone 4. Meanwhile, Google, despite many innovations, is gaining little progress in the tablet world, where the iPad holds roughly 90% of the user base. Both Google’s Honeycomb tablets and the iPad 2 may change this picture, but in any case Microsoft will have a steep hill to climb if it’s going to make a dent in the world of tablet computing.
[via Business Week]
