Intel, Microsoft find common target in Apple

For the past two years, Apple® has enjoyed a healthy and all-but-untouchable lead in the tablet computer industry. However, two technology giants, Intel® and Microsoft®, hope to change that and are aiming to pick away at Apple's lead.

Technology news provider DigiTimes reports that Intel and Microsoft are working closely with vendors to push Apple's tablet market share below 50 percent by 2013. According to DigiTimes, Apple currently represents a sizable 70 percent of the market.

The not-so-secret weapon in Microsoft and Intel's arsenal is Windows® 8. Scheduled to be released in mid- to late-2012, the latest iteration of the popular operating system will run on both tablet computers and traditional PCs. According to the report, both companies are working closely with top vendors to introduce a lineup of Windows 8 tablets selling for as low at $300.

The lower price point could certainly play in the favor of Microsoft and Intel, as cost has been one area where some manufacturers have proven competitive with the iPad®. The fact that Windows 8 will run on multiple vendors' devices is also hugely advantageous, as it gives the companies a wider range of tools and platforms with which to work.