RUMOR: MICROSOFT-BRANDED TABLETS RUNNING WINDOWS 8 TO LAUNCH BY THE END OF 2012

With the tablet marking growing at an extremely fast rate, rumor has it that Microsoft will launch its own branded tablets running Windows 8 by the end of 2012 with the help of Texas Instruments and Taiwan-based manufacturers. According to Digitimes, Microsoft has yet to confirm this rumor.
In the past, Microsoft has relied on partnership with hardware vendors to help launch its line of software products, as we’ve seen with Windows Vista and Windows 7. Microsoft’s decision may or may not affect such partnerships.
This wouldn’t be the first time Microsoft has tried to release its own hardware, as we’ve seen with the Zune and Xbox 360. Success rates have varied greatly between these products, but it will not be easy for Microsoft to be late entering such a competitive market.