Microsoft has confirmed that Asus, Lenovo, Samsung and Toshiba will be authorized to sell Windows RT tablets.

The Surface touchscreen tablet ©Microsoft

Microsoft's next OS will support Intel (Windows 8) and ARM-based (Windows RT) processors. NVIDIA, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments have been chosen to produce the all-in-one chip -- dubbed System on a Chip -- equipping the RT tablets.

Intel said it intends to feature its chip on some twenty models with ten hardware-manufacturing partners, with no further details.

First Microsoft tablet "Surface" will come in both Windows 8 and Windows RT versions.

Microsoft will launch Windows 8 October 26 with the first compatible tablets set to follow.