With Microsoft set to launch its much-hyped Windows 8 operating system this week, on October 26, PC designs are on the verge of a radical change; with a horde of Windows 8-based PC models scheduled to hit the markets shortly after the new OS is released.

Given the fact that the forthcoming Windows 8 OS version will be equally compatible with tablets, all-in-one desktop PCs and the traditional laptops, the new Windows 8 computers will essentially bring about a notable change in the way consumers think about a PC, its functions, and its overall working.

The latest Windows 8 OS version has virtually paved the way for new innovative hardware designs which will soon arrive on the market. These designs have largely been driven by the small Intel processors which have made it possible for PC manufacturers to come up with powerful, high-performance devices which, in some cases, are even less than one inch in thickness.

While Intel has seeded the new PC arena with several prototype designs, Microsoft itself has also developed prototypes, and has also made its foray into the tablet market by developing its own tablet - Surface - to aptly demonstrate its Windows 8 platform.

Going by speculations, the Windows 8-based new and different PCs, laptops, and tablets will apparently intrigue the consumers no end, with countless options set to change the PC scenario in the coming weeks; though some consumers may not like the idea of learning the new Windows 8 software.