FAQ: WOA vs. x86, which Windows tablet to pick?

Computerworld - IT managers weighing the pros and cons of picking either an upcoming Windows on ARM (WOA) tablet or an x86-based Windows 8 tablet still face a number of unknowns.

Many analysts assume that WOA tablets will cost less, be lighter and have a longer battery life than an x86- or x64-based tablet from Intel or AMD. But Microsoft has also made it clear that legacy Windows-based apps, widely used in enterprises, won't work without being updated to run on a WOA tablet. (WOA models are expected to be out late this year.)

Given that issue, does buying a WOA tablet make sense? Ultimately, it depends on how users -- or the IT staffers deciding on tablets for workers -- plan to use a Microsoft tablet: Will it be more like a traditional computer that generates information or as a consumption device -- a kind of "glass window to look into apps?" as analyst Jack Gold at J. Gold Associates put it.

To sort through some of those issues, here are a few points to keep in mind:

Won't a WOA tablet's up-front cost be cheaper than an X86 or X64 tablet running Windows 8? Analysts see the prevalence of ARM-based chips in tablets already on the market as a sign that they will be cheaper for Microsoft to use in WOA tablets. ARM is widely used now in smartphones, as well as in Android tablets and even the highly popular iPad from Apple.

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