Reports from CNET Suggest that Microsoft is planning on revealing their new slate based OS very soon. So far, we’ve been referring to this new OS as Windows 8, which follows the logical order of things because 8 comes after 7. However, Microsoft has yet to confirm that anything called “Windows 8″ is in the works, but for now, I have no problems with referring to it as Windows 8. Juxtaposed with Apple, Microsoft isn’t well known for limiting their hardware developer’s tools, but so far, that is one reason for a sluggish release of any sort of Windows Slate. One company that we know is currently developing a new line of Slates to run a future Windows Slate OS (Windows 8, for example) is Acer. The CEO of Acer, J. T. Wong complained that Microsoft is controlling the entire process. It seems that so far, his qualms are well justified. Microsoft is allowing 5 chip makers to develop processing units for their new slate brand: Intel, Qualcomm, Advanced Micro Devices, Nvidia, and Texas Instruments. To make this a problem, they also decided that only one of each of these chip manufacturers may work alongside two hardware developers. That means that if Dell and HP are putting Intel chips in their devices, Intel is not allowed to give their products to any other developer. Acer’s Wong is right in his position, this limiting of developers is only going to slow production, but maybe even force some wanting brands to leave the Microsoft Slate franchise.
Microsoft’s giving the task of developing slate systems to contend with the Xoom and iPad to their constituent PC and Windows Phone developers is completely wrong to begin with. Microsoft has been in the tablet business for more than 5 years now, and the fact that they are wanting so badly to downgrade their operating system to work on a device that lacks all the features of any tablet that is already produced with Windows 7 OS is completely ridiculous. HP, Dell, Lenovo, Panasonic, Fujitsu and Toshiba all make Tablets that run actual Windows PC operating systems, not a dumbed down version of it. Windows has been very successful when it comes to large computing devices, such as PC’s and gaming consoles, but, in the past, small devices seem to be their weakness. A tablet PC can be marketed against these slates flooding the market and be differentiated as a grown up, actual computer version of these over sized mp3 players. The last thing that Microsoft needs is four or five companies spitting out these slates that are collectively as popular as the Zune.
