Windows 8 tablets running on ARM chipsets might be coming as soon as the holidays

Microsoft has reportedly set aside about a 1000 strong army of engineers to work on Windows 8 powered by ARM chipsets, instead of the x86 Intel architecture, a first in history. Moreover, the Redmond-based software giant is now working with one goal in mind - to put Windows 8 on a tablet as soon as possible, and, if rumors turn true, will be ready with the touch-optimized UI of Windows 8 on tablets for the holidays this year, or early into 2012. Steve Ballmer even demoed some of it at the CES show last month.

While the advantages of moving Windows to ARM-based silicon are numerous, mainly in the performance/battery life ratio, Microsoft needs to move even faster, so as to ensure at least some presence in the tablet world. By this year's holiday season Honeycomb slates and iPads will be everywhere in our homes, and the tablet would have received enough critical mass of popularity for Microsoft to swoop in and grab some share with its robust driver and legacy software support. Even with the iPad enterprise adoption it is still raking in about $100 per device in access and license fees to its corporate software.

Excited about Windows 8 on ARM-based chipsets? We'll be when we hear what battery life can Microsoft give us. Windows 7 was sped up because of Vista's lackluster acceptance, and now Microsoft is moving even faster with Windows 8 as the competition is threatening to marginalize it altogether if it doesn't move along.

source: BusinessInsider & SlashGear