HP Shuns ARM For Windows 8, For Now

HP has made it clear that there will be no ARM Windows 8 tablets coming from the company this year.

HP Sticks With x86 For Windows 8 Tablets, No ARM This Year

Hewlett-Packaerd, the largest PC manufacturer in the world, has decided against offering ARM-based Windows 8 devices this year. Even though this is just one company, it is yet another sign of the slower rollout of Windows 8 RT (official name of Windows 8 On ARM) devices. HP will still be offering Windows 8 tablets but all of them would be Intel-based.

This also means, all of HP’s Windows 8 tablets will offer the full Windows experience along with the traditional desktop. The company has already confirmed to the press that the tablets will be aimed at business users — a segment that HP is already quite familiar with.

HP and all other licensees of the Windows 8 operating system will soon be facing direct competition from Microsoft itself as the makers of Windows will soon be launching their own tablets in to the market. In fact, some of these partners are quite upset about it and a few have claimed that Microsoft had seen their designs before they decided to start off with their Surface tablet project.

Since all Windows devices except for the Surface will have to include the licensing fee for Windows, Microsoft is the only company that is in a position to offer the cheapest yet fully featured Windows 8 tablets in the market. This has not gone down well Microsoft’s hardware partners for Windows 8. HP however, has officially denied rumors that suggest its avoidance of ARM-based tablets was a reaction to Surface RT. Company officials have stated that the decision to not offer ARM devices was already in place before Microsoft announced the Surface.