Power users planning to get their hands on an Intel Atom-powered Windows 8 tablet may have to wait until late January due to quality control testing from Microsoft.
SlashGear reported Wednesday that testing inside Microsoft's quality assurance lab is holding up the arrival of Intel Atom Z2760-based tablets, including the Dell Latitude 10.
Originally scheduled to ship in mid-December, early Latitude 10 buyers are being told their 10-inch Windows 8 tablet won't ship until the new year, with Dell's website now estimating a ship date of January 22, 2013.
Worse yet, Dell customer service are notifying would-be buyers that the tablet has not even officially launched yet, despite the company accepting pre-orders since November.
Waiting for approval
The delay is also affecting HP, which is now showing a Jan. 9 ship date in the U.S. for its ENVY x2 11t-g000 convertible tablet with a twisting touchscreen, also previously expected in November. (UPDATE: This is available in the U.K. currently).
Sources claim Microsoft's Windows Hardware Quality Labs are responsible for the holdup, with Intel unable to get approval for the Clover Trail processors used on the Atom Z2760.
The issue is reportedly related to device drivers used with the Clover Trail processors, which have caused stability headaches for Intel.
Without approval, the Windows 8 tablets in question cannot be legally sold as part of Microsoft's licensing terms for its OEM partners.
Via SlashGear
