Microsoft set to unveil Windows 8 on tablets

Reports claim new operating system will be showcased at CES

Microsoft is planning to unveil its new Windows operating system at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas next month, according to sources in the US.

Windows 8 will run on tablet devices as well as traditional PCs, and will mark the first time that Windows runs on processors designed by UK-based chip manufacturer ARM Holdings, according to the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is expected to showcase the operating system on a tablet at CES, a source told The New York Times.

While it remains unclear when Windows 8 will come to market, the reports suggest that Microsoft and ARM may form a partnership, as Microsoft attempts to make up for lost time in a market dominated by rival Apple's iPad device.

ARM's chip architecture competes with Intel's x86 designs.

Meanwhile, Microsoft announced that more than 1.5 million mobile phones carrying Windows Phone 7 have sold in the first six weeks of launch. The company added that this meets "realistic" expectations.