Windows 8 readying for October debut A screenshot of Windows 8 consumer preview. Microsoft Corp. By Michelle Maltais March 20, 2012, 8:21 a.m. Amid all the attention lavished on the new iPad, a Bloomberg report notes that work on Windows 8 is likely to wrap up this summer, setting the stage for a debut in PCs and tablets this October. The first wave of devices are likely to run both Intel and ARM processors, with the overwhelming majority carrying Intel, Bloomberg said. Although Microsoft is developing its offerings with ARM technology -- that's what's running Apple's iPad -- there will be "fewer than five" WOA (Windows on ARM) devices, compared to more than 40 Intel machines, according to the report. Sources also told Bloomberg that three of those Windows 8 ARM devices will be tablets. The company's release of a Consumer Preview in late February suggested they were on track for a fall release. Windows 7 was released to developers in July 2009 and in devices that October as the holiday shopping season was just gearing up. The consumer beta offerings were met with overwhelming interest -- over a million downloads in the first 24 hours. At this point in the tablet revolution, however, Apple is in its third iteration of its incredibly popular iPad and there are numerous Android-based offerings. So the pressure is on for Microsoft to get a viable tablet to market. "The last thing Microsoft wants to have is a situation where there are no compelling Windows tablets at a time when the new iPad looks like it's going to be a good seller for the holidays," Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg told Bloomberg. Of course, it could be worse -- if the operating system isn't ready for prime time, compelling tablet or not.