If checkerboarding does not work out, AkzoNobel has an alternative: create a surface so smooth that barnacles cannot hold on to it.

ECONOMIST: Monitor: Reducing the barnacle bill | The

"The way he skied, he was so light even though he was a big guy, he was so light on the skis, smooth and he could pull it off -- even though if the first run was not that great, he could really do it on the second run, " the Austrian said.

CNN: Ski legend Tomba's great regret

It's a tricky balancing act to pull off, and lots could go wrong -- for instance, it's not exactly clear how smooth it will be to switch between the two types of Windows, or if you'll even be able to get the old Windows on certain types of tablets (that is, tablets that run the power-efficient ARM processors used by the iPad and most other tablets today).

CNN: This is the year Microsoft fights back