Microsoft launches their highly anticipated operating system Windows 8 and its variant Windows 8 RT later this year in October, and news has already spread that several companies are planning tablets that will use the new OS. These include Asus, Acer, and Microsoft themselves, who have a new line of Windows 8 RT tablets planned called Surface.
Now it appears Samsung will also enter the Windows 8 RT tablet battle with an entrant of their own, expected to launch in October around the same time as the new OS. The news of Samsung's plans was first reported by Bloomberg, who obtained the information through an unnamed source familiar with those plans.
While certainly not surprising that a host of new devices utilizing the new OS hope to capitalize on the initial fervor surrounding it, there are concerns about how these devices will stay competitive against Android-based tablets from a price standpoint.
Unlike Android, which is free, licensing Windows 8 RT for use in their tablets will cost manufacturers in the range of $85 per device, adding a substantial initial cost that will have to be largely passed on to their consumers. If Windows 8 RT lives up to the hype, then consumers will no doubt be willing to pay a little more for the latest and greatest OS. If it doesn't, there will likely be a lot of Windows 8 RT tablets collecting dust on store shelves.
It's also not surprising then that other manufacturers have no immediate plans to create Windows 8 RT tablets, including HP, who are sticking with Intel's x86 architecture for their first batch of Windows 8 tablets.
Windows 8 RT will force developers to use ARM chips in their devices, as they're the only chips which can run Windows 8 RT, with Qualcomm, Nvidia, and Texas Instruments being the 3 chipmakers Microsoft has tapped for developing those chips.
Samsung is said to be using Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor for their Windows 8 RT tablet, and while they haven't officially confirmed (or denied) the rumour, it's likely we'll hear more in the coming weeks.
