Now that HP is now firmly in the PC business once again, its new CEO Meg Whitman is already thinking about the future of the PC division. the Los Angeles Times web site reports that in a conference call with analysts on Thursday, Whitman confirmed that HP does have plans to release tablets that will use Microsoft"s Windows 8 operating system.
While this news isn"t much of a surprise, it is the first time that HP has confirmed that it has plans to make more tablets following the failure of its WebOS-based TouchPad device earlier this year. Whitman said that HP still has time to make a presence in the tablet space and added, "the work we do with Microsoft is extraordinary compelling."
You have to think this news makes Microsoft happy. Windows 8"s Metro touch screen interface was made for touch screen products like tablets and you can bet that HP and Microsoft will work together in order for HP to create a tablet product that shows off Windows 8 in the best possible light.
Earlier this month, Dell also strongly hinted that it would make a tablet device that would use Windows 8 during its Dell World conference. Intel has already said it sees a hybrid tablet-notebook version of its Ultrabooks design working well with Windows 8. All of this means that when Microsoft releases the next version of its operating system there will be a bunch of tablet-based PCs that will be sold with the operating system running things inside.