Microsoft is already facing an uphill battle when it comes to fighting the likes of Apple, Samsung, Google and Amazon in the tablet wars. But with news that its certification of tablets based around Intel’s Clover Trail platform is being delayed because Intel can’t supply proper power management firmware for devices, Microsoft’s looming holiday war just became a bit more precipitous.
https://gizmodo.com/what-is-intel-clover-trail-5947203
According to Bloomberg, who cites an unnamed source, the delay could have very real effects on the entire Windows 8 ecosystem, including diminished sales during the busy holiday season, and less incentive for developers to provide touch-friendly Windows 8 apps if quality hardware isn’t available.
And it’s not just a couple of devices that are Clover Trail based: Dell, HP, and Samsung all have devices on the way. But some have speculated that Intel knows the chipset won’t perform to expectations and are unconcerned with its success (curiously, Microsoft’s own Surface tablet is built around a low power, Intel Core-series chipset). Whatever the case, this is exactly the type of problem Microsoft doesn’t want to be dealing with so close to launch day. [Bloomberg]
