Microsoft’s Windows 8 Will Compete With The iPad 3

After Microsoft less than a year ago managed to catch up with Apple’s three year leading position and released up-to-date, multi-touch operating system in Windows Phone 7, it needs to do it again.

Their solution is Windows 8, the next version of desktop operating system that is fully optimized to work with power-sipping ARM processors and skinned with an operating system for tablets. A report implies that Microsoft will rush Windows 8 to market to not allow iPad 3 to eat Microsoft’s tablet market share that the company expects to get.

As ZDNet reports, Microsoft has changed their timetable to release the next-generation Windows from the end of 2011 to April 2012, making Windows 8 available to consumers by no later than June or July.

This is a good step to get a real tablet-specific operating system to OEMs as fast as possible, but it is doubtful that Windows 8 can hold a candle to iOS even in the short run.

Now Apple’s share of US tablet market is 97%. What it will be once they release the iPad 3?