MANILA, Philippines — Nokia plans to launch a tablet computer as early as the first half of 2012. And to nobody’s surprise, it will most likely be loaded with Microsoft’s next-generation operating system, Windows 8.

Most industry observers (read: doubters) had barely gotten used to the idea of Windows Phone-running Nokia smartphones when rumors about Nokia’s planned Windows 8 tablets first emerged. While the Nokia-Microsoft smartphone alliance must have made plenty of analysts scratch their heads, unsure of what to make of the deal, these pundits are even more likely to ridicule this yet-to-be-announced tablet collaboration. After all, the tablet market is currently owned by the iPad. At distant second and succeeding places are a bunch of slates powered by variants of Android and some less popular operating systems. For these analysts, it would make much more sense if Nokia were to adopt Google’s Android platform, instead of cozying up to Ballmer’s dual-personality OS.

A couple of weeks ago, the head of Nokia’s French operations hinted at a probable June 2012 release for the Nokia tablet. It will come loaded with Windows 8, an OS designed by Microsoft to run on desktop PCs and notebooks of all sizes, as well as on devices powered by ARM processors.

Like or Unlike FB Phone

According to the technology blog, All Things Digital, Facebook has reportedly partnered with Taiwan-electronics manufacturer HTC to manufacture a customized “Facebook” smartphone. Codenamed “Buffy,” the Android-running smartphone will be first and foremost a Facebook-centric phone.

According to unverified reports (rumors, in other words), Facebook plans to release the phone within the next 18 months.

HTC’s Chromebook

HTC is also said to be planning to manufacture a Chromebook. Apparently, slow sales of Chrome OS-running portable computers have failed to discourage the Taiwanese electronics vendor from trying its luck in the Google-inspired hardware market. Reports say that HTC’s planned Chromebook might have some similarities with the company’s ultra-mobile personal computer. Introduced in 2008, that UMPC from HTC combined the Windows Mobile 6 and Windows Vista operating systems in one computing platform-cum-smartphone.

This time, however, HTC plans to introduce a device that could switch between the Chrome OS and Android.

No LCD Required

South Korean bookseller Kyobo Book Centre introduced the Kyobo eReader, an ebook reader that features a new electronic display technology developed by U.S.-based mobile processor vendor Qualcomm Inc. Equipped with a 1.0GHz Snapdragon processor and a customized Android software, the Kyobo eReader includes a 5.7-inch XGA mirasol display.

Qualcomm’s display technology uses light from the immediate surroundings instead of its own. This enables the ebook reader to conserve battery power, as display systems account for a significant portion of power consumption among gadgets equipped with LCDs and other conventional displays.

That’s all for the meantime, folks. Join me again next time as we keep on watching IT.