CES: Microsoft to unveil tablet-ready version of Windows

by Steven Mostyn - Dec 22 2010, 06:06

If recent industry rumours are to be believed, American software behemoth Microsoft is working extremely hard to expand the reach of its Windows operating system beyond conventional computing platforms.

Moreover, following on from yesterday’s whispers that Ballmer and Co. plan to join forces with Nokia to unleash a new line of smartphones equipped with Windows Phone 7, a report in the Wall Street Journal claims Microsoft is about to reveal a tablet-specific version of Windows.

According to the report, Microsoft will use the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas to announce Windows software designed to function with chips created by UK-based ARM Holdings—which provides the vast majority of mobile processors for tablet computers.

Citing people familiar with the plans, the Journal offers that Microsoft’s tablet-centric version of Windows will work alongside ARM chip architecture, which itself competes with the x86 architecture utilised by processing titan Intel Corp.

Microsoft and ARM have not yet commented on the rumoured partnership. Hopefully all will be revealed when the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show kicks off on January 6.   

As Microsoft continues to push Windows Phone 7 against rival systems such as Google Android, Apple’s iOS and RIM’s BlackBerry OS, the Redmond-based giant has this week said more than 1.5 million mobile devices carrying its software were sold during the platform’s first six weeks of availability.

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