Microsoft Imposes "Troublesome" Restrictions On Tablets

Microsoft Windows chief, Steven Sinofsky, is set to demo the new Windows 8 tablet OS at next week's D9 Conference. The Windows 8 OS is rumored to support both Intel and ARM processors, and will hopefully launch Microsoft into the tablet arena to wrestle with Apple's iPad 2 and the myriad of Android tablets. However, manufacturers are already complaining about Microsoft's restrictive hardware rules.

Acer is the number three PC maker in the world, and they're definitely set to be one of the first to produce a Windows-based tablet. But, Acer chairman and CEO, J.T. Wang, is not happy with how Microsoft is handling the process. "They're really controlling the whole thing, the whole process," said Wang at the Computex trade show in Taipei. He did not mention the exact restrictions but continued saying that chip suppliers and PC makers "all feel it's very troublesome."

Details on the next Windows version remains mysterious despite the small blunder that CEO Steve Ballmer made during a recent event, where he said, "as we progress through the year, you ought to expect to hear a lot about Windows 8. Windows 8 slates, tablets, PCs, a variety of different form factors." Microsoft's PR team quickly responded clarifying that it was a misstatement.

Statements from Intel were also slapped down as "factually inaccurate" when Intel SVP Renee James revealed secret Windows 8 details. Hopefully, we'll find out more on what all this mystery and troublesome restrictions are about when the D9 Conference kicks off tomorrow.

[via Bloomberg]