In April, Intel revealed that the next version of its Atom processor family, code named Bay Trail, would be available inside products, including Windows 8 tablets and hybrids, by the end of 2013. Today, the company talked about the microarchitecture that Bay Trail and other processors will use, which has the code named Silvermont. It's the first major change in Intel's low power design since 2008.

Intel's press release said that chips with the Silvermont microarchitecture will be made with the 22nm Tri-Gate SoC process and will have up to three times the performance of chips that use the current Atom microarchitecture. At the same time, the Silvermont setup will lower a chip's power consumption by up to five times that of the current Atom chip.

Atom processors with the Silvermont microarchitecture will be able to have as many as eight cores, although it's likely that any Windows tablets that use chips with the Silvermont design will have around two to four cores. The first Bay Trail chips, for example, will have four cores, and Intel says that other versions of Bay Trail may be used in entry-level laptops and even in desktops with "innovative form factors."

In addition to Bay Trail, Intel will use the Silvermont microarchitecture for a new family of smartphone chips, under the code name Merrifield, that will be ready by the end the year. It will also be used for chips made for micro-servers, with the code name Avoton.

Microsoft has revealed that future 7- and 8-inch Windows 8 tablets will ship with a free copy of Office 2013. Speaking at Computex on Wednesday, Windows CFO Tami Reller revealed plans for Office Home and Student 2013 to be bundled with "small" Windows 8 tablets. It's up to OEMs to bundle the software, which includes access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. Outlook 2013 will not be part of the free offering for smaller Windows 8 tablets, but Microsoft revealed on Wednesday that Windows RT 8.1 (that runs on ARM-based tablets) will include access to Outlook RT.

The plans follow rumors that Microsoft is cutting licensing costs for Windows and Office on small form factors to help drive interest from PC makers. So far, Acer is the only manufacturer that has opted to announce a small Windows tablet. The company unveiled its 8-inch Iconia W3 at Computex this week, noting that it ships with Office Home and Student 2013. Other manufacturers appear to be holding any 7- and 8-inch Windows tablet announcements, most likely because Microsoft is preparing a Windows 8.1 update that is designed to improve the usability of Windows on small form factors.