Microsoft and its manufacturing partners have had a testy relationship over the last few months. Ever since Microsoft announced the Surface, OEMs like Acer, Asus, and Toshiba have been in an uproar about Microsoft taking away their business.
As a result, some OEMs have not signed up to create launch-day Windows 8 tablets. These OEMs include big names like Acer and HP. But Microsoft has known about Acer and HP’s Windows 8 tablet problems for a while. While these manufacturing partners are expected to create Windows 8 tablets in the future, they will not launch a Windows RT tablet in October.
However, it now seems that Toshiba has also dropped out of the Windows 8 launch-day event. Although Toshiba was initially expected to put a number of powerful Windows 8 tablets on display, Toshiba claims that supply chain problems have prevented them from creating tablets in time for October 26, which is when Windows 8 will launch.
Due to delayed components, Toshiba has no plans to launch a Windows RT device in the near future, although it could still develop a range of Windows 8 tablets.
It appears that Microsoft’s manufacturing partners are reluctant to compete directly against Microsoft’s flagship Windows 8 tablet – the Microsoft Surface RT – when it’s released later this year. As of now, it looks like the Surface will be the best Windows 8 tablet on the market when Windows 8 launches.
In any case, it’s bad news for fans of Toshiba who were hoping for an impressive Windows 8 RT tablet later this year.