Samsung jumps on the 'Windows 8 in second half of 2012' bandwagon

Add another PC maker to the list of those readying Windows 8 PCs and tablets.

Samsung Electronics Co. officials told Bloomberg this week that they'll have Windows 8 touch-centric PCs in the market in the second half of next year.  Models will include at least one offering that will be a modified version of the Samsung Series 7 that currently runs Windows 7, Samsung officials said.

Asustek officials recently told analysts that the company will have Windows 8 tablets out in the third quarter of 2012, at least some of which will be ARM-based. HP also has said it is working on Windows 8 tablets and Dell is rumored to be targeting Q3 2012 for their Windows 8 tablet drop.

Microsoft officials still have not stated officially when Windows 8 will be released to manufacturing and/or available on new PCs. Windows Chief Steven Sinofsky said earlier this year that Microsoft is on track to release Windows 8 two to three years after Windows 7's launch. But Sinofsky & Co. have declined to provide public dates for the single Windows 8 beta, the Release Candidate and/or the release-to-manufacturing milestones for the product.

(Many Microsoft watchers are expecting Microsoft to launch the Windows 8 beta at the January 2012 Consumer Electronics Show. I have heard from some of my contacts that the beta may launch slightly after CES. And don't forget the rumor that there could be new Windows tablets from one or more OEMs preloaded with the Windows 8 beta bits...)

If you want/need more evidence as to Windows 8 being a second half of 2012 deliverable, there's also this chart from Microsoft's own Patterns & Practices team (which Deep Fried Bytes' Chris Woodruff noticed and tweeted recently):

The P&P team is aiming to develop their Windows 8 guidance documents for building immersive Windows 8 Metro-style apps using HTML5, JavaScript, XAML, C++ and C# over the first six months of next year.