Dell, HP & Asus Windows 8 Tablets Delayed

Windows 8 is finally selling faster than Windows 7 but that doesn’t mean it’s smooth sailing for Microsoft. According to a new report Windows 8 tablets from the likes of Dell, HP and Asus will be delayed until early 2013.

According to the report computer manufacturers are having a hard time building drivers for the dual-core Clover Trial Atom Z2760 processor by Intel. The chipset is a high-tech piece of equipment that is suppose to allow Windows 8 to run with the same speed of iPad and Android-based devices. The CPU is also suppose to allow for better battery performance.

The driver delay is believed to be effecting delivery and supply for several sought after devices including the Dell Latitude 10 tablet, the HP Envy x2, the Asus VivoTab Smart and the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2.

Several Windows 8 tablets have begun to ship with the Atom Z2760 procesor, specifically the Samsung ATIV Smart PC and the Acer Iconia W510.

Cindy Shaw of DISCERN tells Information Week:

“HP and Dell are conceding they’ve given up on the consumer, so missing the holiday season is not that big of a deal. They’re not missing that magical time of the year. But the longer it takes for businesses to get their hands on evaluation units, the longer it’s going to take to translate into enterprise sales.”

Many business owners have already said they will avoid Windows 8 platforms because the cost to upgrade their networks would not be worth the hassle.

CNET also reports spotty Windows 8 tablet sales and the tech website received the following email from HP:

“Customers can expect to receive an Envy x2…in January, if they order today. Customers who ordered their units on Dec. 3 or prior are expected to receive their PC by Dec. 21 at the latest.”

Lenovo originally claimed that its new ThinkPad Tablet 2 would ship in the first week of December, a claim that doesn’t appear to be true.

With the Microsoft Surface RT falling flat in terms of sales, Microsoft desperately needs a boost from full edition Windows 8 tablets.