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    Microsoft's Windows 8 tablet hardware requirements detailed

    Microsoft's Windows 8 tablet hardware requirements detailed

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    Microsoft details its minimum hardware requirements for touch and tablet Windows 8 PCs.

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    TI Windows 8 tablet ARM
    TI Windows 8 tablet ARM

    Microsoft's latest hardware certification requirements document, which revealed ARM devices won't have the option to switch off secure boot, also contains a number of details on the software giant's plans for Windows 8 tablet hardware. Rafael Rivera, known for his work on the first Windows Phone jailbreak, has dug into the document to reveal some interesting requirements from Microsoft, including the new CTRL + ALT + DEL replacement for PCs without a keyboard: Windows Key + Power.

    Windows 8 touch PCs must use digitizers supporting a minimum of five points, a requirement that is probably designed to avoid consumer confusion over multitouch machines. Microsoft is planning to support NFC technology in Windows 8, and PCs that take advantage of NFC must have "touch marks" that are marked on the hardware to prevent users from having to search for the touch point. Windows 8 tablets and convertible PCs must have five hardware buttons: power, rotation lock, Windows key and volume up / down. They will also have to use UEFI firmware, WLAN, Bluetooth 4.0, a 720P camera, and include a gyroscope. Microsoft's minimum resolution is 1366x768 for tablets, and vendors must also include at least one USB 2.0 port, a magnetometer, speakers, and an accelerometer.

    The requirements are fairly strict for OEMs, but we've already seen a similar approach from Microsoft with its Windows Phone hardware button specifications. By maintaining similar hardware, Microsoft is able to create a common Windows 8 experience for everyone, and that's critical if the company wants to compete with Apple's iPad hardware.