Samsung will be showing off a tablet based on Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 operating system next week. The collaboration with Microsoft will be a first for Samsung in its hardware devices, according to the Korea Economic Daily.
Analysts believe that Samsung is trying to diversify the operating systems they use on tablets and smartphones. The company is heavily dependent on Google's Android OS and continues to face legal battles with Apple regarding their Galaxy Tab.
Samsung CEO Gee-Sung Choi publically stated last week that his company had no interest in acquiring WebOS from HP. Rumors from the previous week pinned Samsung as a likely candidate for the defunct mobile operating system.
If true, the scheduled showing would take place at Microsoft's BUILD conference happening September 13-16 in Anaheim, California. The OS giant is planning to show off Windows 8 beta to developers during the four day event.
Microsoft has been forthcoming about Windows 8 development via their Building Windows 8 blog that launched last month.
Thus far we know that the Windows Phone-inspired operating system will feature native touch support (via Metro) alongside a traditional desktop UI, making it very tablet-friendly. Additional features include native mounting support for ISOs and VHDs, improved file system management and robust USB 3.0 support.
The next-gen OS will likely be available to developers over the coming months. If the process used to roll out Windows 7 is any indication, Microsoft could also provide a Windows 8 Release Candidate to end-users before the public launch.