Microsoft is prepping to show off a Windows 8-based, Intel-powered, Samsung-built tablet at the Microsoft conference this week with at least one of the tablets being shown will not only be distributed to some attendees, but will be built from Intel silicon. People were expecting a move to ARM-based processors, but Intel seems to have won that battle. ARM-based providers such as Qualcomm, Texas Instruments and NVIDIA all provide hardware for Motorola, Samsung and Sony tablets that are Android-powered.

It's not yet known if the Windows 8 tablets will be running ARM, but Intel is reported to be a go. ARM processors are generally favored for their power efficiency over Intel CPUs, but we should see a change in the wind coming in the form of next-gen Atom chips from Intel coming soon.