14 DAY TRIAL // Since Microsoft is known to be diligently working on its Windows 8 OS, which will support ARM chips, consumers are, naturally, eager to see tablets loaded with it, and it seems they may see their wish fulfilled sooner rather than later.
The tablet market is already said to have grown enough that laptop sales are being negatively affected and, thus, even such things as HDDs will soon start selling less.
Android 3.0 is practically dominating the segment, being the first version of Google's OS that was meant for slates.
Still, some time ago, Microsoft announced that its next version of the Windows operating system will support the ARM architecture, not just x86.
As such, that slates will use the new software platform is inevitable, and a certain report claims to have even discovered just when the first such models will be spotted.
A leaked slide suggested that Windows 8-based tablets would be demonstrated as early as CES 2012, no doubt drawing the attention of many.
The aforementioned report is not too quick to take this information at face value, but still has the slates set to be introduced during the third quarter of next year, a period otherwise known as the back-to-school season.
With Intel also preparing the Medfield 32nm chips, it will be interesting to see just how many IT players switch over form ARM to x86.
Either way, the fact that Windows 8 supports both will likely allow it to make up for the fact that Google's Android was so much faster at becoming the preeminent slate OS, not to mention that the latter will no doubt be available in an even more advanced and refined form that Honeycomb.
It will also be interesting to see just what this market segments ends up looking like when Apple launches the iPad 3, promoting its iOS while at it.