Microsoft may have shot itself in the foot with the release of its own ARM-based Windows RT tablet. Announced last week, the Surface RT tablet appears to compare favorably to the iPad in many respects (while lacking a Retina-quality display), and has interesting lightweight and portable keyboards to go with it.

According to this report from hothardware.com, HP is giving up plans for an RT (ARM based) Windows 8 tablet and instead will create only Intel based Windows 8 tablets.

Time will tell if this affects suitability and availability of RT tablets for the enterprise. Some pundits think Microsoft needed to make its own branded hardware to compete with Apple’s iPad, but this always risks annoying their hardware partners.

Let’s hope Microsoft can make enough tablets to satisfy enterprise demand.