Microsoft had a few restrictions in place for manufacturers wishing to produce Windows Phone 7 devices. All devices had to carry a certain level of specs before Microsoft would give manufacturers the WP7 stamp of approval. Now it seems Redmond is also planning on imposing restrictions for Windows 8 tablets, too.
Microsoft has apparently informed hardware partners that restrictions for those planning Windows 8 tablets will be announced in the coming weeks. Manufacturers aren't too keen on the idea that Microsoft will be restricting the types of tablets they can produce, and Acer has been particularly vocal in its objections.
“They’re really controlling the whole thing, the whole process,” Bloomberg quotes Acer CEO J.T. Wang as saying in a Computex interview this week. “They try to set the game rules,” he said, and chip suppliers and PC makers “all feel it’s very troublesome.”
Though there is little in the way of specifics available right now, the Bloomberg report cites sources that say Microsoft will offer chipmakers incentives to partner with a single PC manufacturer. Bloomberg's sources say such incentives could include cheaper software or features that ensure the device runs more efficiently. The idea is that the restrictions will limit the variations of Windows tablets and, by having a tighter control, Microsoft will be able to deliver Windows 8 tablets that much faster.
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