Intel Atom Cedar Trail processors won’t work with Windows 8?

One of the greatest things about Windows 8 is how much faster it performs.

Even better, all Windows 7 devices and many Windows XP and Vista machines will run the newest OS without a problem. I’ve tested Windows 8 on machines as low as a Pentium 4 without much issue. With that in mind, it seems that there is one processor that will be left out in the cold for Windows 8 – the recently released Intel Atom Cedar Trail.

Apparently there is a driver issue that keeps Cedar Trail from playing nice with Windows 8. For those that don’t know, this is mostly found in lower-end netbooks, but it could still be more than a slight annoyance for some consumers.

This certainly throws a small wrench into the compatibility claims from Microsoft, though it seems to be the only processor affected. While netbook owners probably could skip Windows 8 and stick to Windows 7, what about Cedar Trail tablets?

Many consumers bought these Windows-based tablets under the impression they would become much more functional once Windows 8 arrived – now they are stuck using the inferior (for touch) UI from Windows 7. That probably won’t go over all that well.

Who is at fault here? It is important to note that the compatibility issues are being brought up by several vendors that use the chip and have run into walls with the upgrade. We aren’t yet hearing word from Microsoft or Intel. That being said, those familiar with the issue claim Intel isn’t releasing the drivers need to get the processor working. Others say it is a deeper compatibility issue that may not have a fix.

It is hard to say what the real truth is until we hear something directly from Microsoft and Intel about the matter. It is also very possible that this is a temporary issue and will see an official patch or fix in the near future.
Do you own a Cedar Trail device? What do you think of this news?

[ source ]

Join the forum discussion on this post Tags: Atom, Atom Cedar, Cedar Trail, chips, compatibility, Intel, Windows 8