2012: Year of Windows Tablet Takeover?

Android tablets are somewhat flakey when it comes to performance and sales. Sure, there are some great ones out there (Zoom, for example), but there are a lot of duds, as well. With the release of Windows 8, tablet vendors are set to change their alliances from the Google Android based operating system to a tablet focused Windows 8 powered by Intel processors. How this will end? I’m betting that a Windows based tablet will be a lot better than an Android one.

Why? Because Android is open source and it can be customized to the hilt (my phone is completely custom using Android as it’s base) and Windows is closed source. With the OS being stable and closed, it will run on the hardware with the same performance and stability of Windows PC’s and Windows phone. A lot of the issues surrounding the Android tablets are that they are customized for the hardware being used, software applications specific to that model, etc..

Only time will tell, but I see the Windows 8 powered tablet using Intel hardware the next logical step to compete with Apple’s iPad (which is also a closed system). Apple has the tablet market cornered, and Microsoft may be the one to take some market share from the mighty Apple. Of course, I doubt that they will completely steal the tablet market, but innovation comes from the competition. Maybe the next iPad will have more than just a few extra MB’s…

Intel and Microsoft are jointly touting a new Wintel-based platform for tablet PCs, raising hopes among non-iPad tablet PC vendors that they may be able to compete more effectively with Apple in the segment in 2012 with models other than ARM/Android-based products, according to industry sources.