Small Tablet Makers Reportedly Not All That Impressed By Windows 8.1

Acer seems to be going all guns blazing with Windows 8.1, as the hardware maker has already developed a tablet sporting a small form factor that matches perfectly with Microsoft upcoming OS.

And for its part, Redmond has specifically fine-tuned the new operating system to make the platform a worthwhile option for smaller tablets — devices with either 7 or 8 inch screen sizes.

But newer reports seem to be suggesting that hardware makers still have a lukewarm response for the platform, and the operating system is yet to make inroads in this particular market.

Digitimes citing its infamous sources from the upstream supply chain claims that Acer is so far the only company that has completely embraced Windows 8.1. Other small tablet markers are still waiting to jump in the game for various reasons.

The primary of which is — you guessed it — pricing.

Word is that the high final price tag of a device running Microsoft’s latest operating system is one of the main reasons that are keeping manufacturers away. Licensing costs, obviously, factor into all this as the costs of software licenses and hardware elements like Intel Atom processors add up.

Microsoft already expects that Windows 8.1 will bring about a completely new wave of devices, including smaller tablets that have either 7 or 8 inch displays. The software titan is yet to comment on this, but it stands to reason that it is keeping a close eye on how things are shaping up.