14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is not exactly spreading the Windows 8 love, not with testers outside of Redmond at least, although the company is dogfooding the operating system internally. And it appears that the situation is getting to some PC manufacturers that have started complaining about the drastically limited number of participants allowed to test Windows 8 in the platform’s early stages of development, according to Digitimes.
In January 2011, the software giant announced that Windows 8 would feature support for System on a Chip architectures.
The next major iteration of Windows is being built to play nice with ARM architectures by default, especially around scenarios involving slates / Tablet PCs.
The Redmond company revealed from the start that it was going to work with such companies as Nvidia, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments (TI), Intel and AMD for Windows 8 ARM support.
The technology players mentioned above were all invited to take part in the Integrated Development Program, designed to tailor Windows 8 to slates, with Microsoft requesting that they invite two additional PC vendors each to have a look at the platform.
It appears that the software giant has been adamant in limiting the number of testers, and as such, some computer vendors were left out. Taiwanese companies complained to the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), and urged the government to back them up, and ensure their participation in the Windows 8 testing program.
Microsoft has neither confirmed nor denied this information, and as far as I’m concerned, I expect the company to remain silent.
However, the software giant has a long tradition of working with its partners including chip makers and OEMs to make sure that all their products are ready for a new release of Windows.
This is why I don’t really understand why Microsoft would leave out companies such as Acer, Asustek and HTC, as per the Digitimes report.
One thing is clear though. Considering the very few leaks of Windows 8, Microsoft is doing a wonderful job of providing the testing bits only to early adopters that can be trusted not to leak them.