Cost could be problem for Windows 8 tablets

There is a great deal of buzz surrounding the upcoming release of Microsoft's Windows® 8 for tablet computers. But as many software and hardware manufacturers have demonstrated in recent years, buzz in the tablet market does not necessarily lead to success.

Price might be one area that stunts Windows 8's growth. According to technology news provider DigiTimes, Microsoft® is planning to charge manufacturers between $90 and $100 to use Windows 8. This means Windows 8 tablets based on the ARM processor will likely have a difficult time matching the prices of the iPad® and certain Android™ tablets.

This could prove detrimental to Windows 8 on tablets. Android ran into a similar problem when it was first seen on tablets in late 2010, as manufacturers had a difficult time bringing down costs to a level that could compete with the iPad. Though some Android-based tablets have since found success, the operating system's market share is nowhere near that of Apple's iOS.

The news provider does not indicate whether Microsoft plans to charge manufacturers the same for devices based on Intel® technology. If not, this could be a huge gain for the chipmaker, as Intel has struggled to make much more than a scratch in the tablet market.