Microsoft has announced that the official launch date of its latest operating system (OS), Windows 8, is October 26. When the touchscreen-friendly OS becomes widely available on tablet devices later this year, will it make the current incumbent, the Apple iPad, look less appealing in comparison?

We have been using the Samsung Series 7 Slate loaded with Windows 8 Release Preview for a while now. Though there will still be changes to the the final version of the OS, the main enhancements are already in the preview. Performance-wise, the Series 7 Slate is pretty top-of-the-line, featuring the latest Intel Ivy Bridge processor and the all important solid-state drive (SSD).