Microsoft hopes cheap tablets will bite into Apple’s marketshare

Microsoft is reportedly working closely with Intel and its hardware partners on creating low cost Windows tablet devices, with the aim of pushing Apple’s iPad marketshare below 50% by the middle of 2013.

According to DigiTimes, Microsoft is hoping to build its marketshare through ARM-processor based tablets running Microsoft Office into emerging markets for $US300 or less.

The company aims to launch Windows 8 for x86 based devices by September of this year, with Windows RT for ARM based devices (previously known as Windows 8 on ARM) to be released shortly afterwards.

The low cost tablets are part of a range of 32 Windows 8 and Windows RT tablets Microsoft hopes to have on the market by the end of 2012.