Are Wintel's days numbered?

The longstanding alliance between chipmaker Intel® and software giant Microsoft® may be entering its twilight years, as both companies shift away from traditional PCs to newer technology.

The partnership known as "Wintel" to many has been a staple of the PC industry for decades. But, as technology news provider PC Magazine points out, recent developments in the companies' strategies suggest that the marriage might not be quite as strong as it once was.

Microsoft, for its part, has begun exploring partnerships with other chipmakers, including Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), which has developed complementary hardware for some of Microsoft's software.

Meanwhile, Intel has been spotted holding hands with mobile device manufacturer Nokia, as the two partnered on the release of the mobile operating system Meego, PC Magazine notes.

Neither Intel nor Microsoft has suggested it is looking to call it quits, and the fact that the two are exploring other options may just be a necessity in an ever-evolving computing market. According to market research firm Canalys, Wintel machines accounted for 82 percent of the global PC market as of July 2011. In fact, Microsoft's Windows® is expected to be a large part in the upcoming Ultrabook™, a new take on the laptop based on Intel's technology.