So will I be able to run all my old Windows applications on the new generation of tablets running Windows on ARM-based processors?
He expects the beta to be unveiled this summer, with a version for Windows on ARM to be ready in the Fall, and an x86 version shortly after.
FORBES: Microsoft: Morgan Stanley Bullish On Office 15; Target $37
Wintel is easy to say, what do I call products running Windows 8 on ARM-based processors?
During its demonstration, Microsoft showed Windows running on Arm-designed chips made by Qualcomm, Texas Instruments and Nvidia.
Additionally, it marks the second time this week that Intel has indirectly slighted Microsoft, the first one being a damning analysis of Windows 8 on ARM by fellow Intel SVP Renee James.
ENGADGET: Intel admits Apple 'helps shape' its roadmap, keeps foot lodged firmly in mouth
In a break with longtime partner Intel, Microsoft announced the new version of Windows will run on ARM-based processors from Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments.
FORBES: Nvidia Gets Another Shot At Tablets. And Another, And Another...
The next crop will run the new Windows 8 operating system, but this first, less expensive, line will run the stripped down Windows RT on an ARM chip.
And in a coup Microsoft announced in January that Windows 8 will run on ARM processors.
Most Windows users view the arrival of Windows RT (WinRT), the version of Windows 8 that runs on ARM processors, with something bordering on contempt.
Hello Windows 8 tablets on Intel and ARM.
FORBES: Connecting marketers to the Forbes audience. What is this?
However, on the Windows RT variant of the system - which will power cheaper tablets running on ARM-based chips - app publishers will only be able to sell their products through the Windows 8 store designed for the touchscreen interface, with all its associated restrictions.
To catch you up, Windows RT is designed to run on ARM-based devices in an attempt to beat back iOS and Android in the tablet space.
ENGADGET: Samsung ATIV Tab review: the Windows RT tablet you'll never find in the US
Microsoft says that Office Home and Student 2013 RT, which contains new versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote applications, will be included on ARM-based Windows 8 devices, including Microsoft Surface.
Microsoft has a mobile version of Windows, known as Windows Phone 7, that already runs on Arm-designed chips.
The new version of Windows will work with processors based on the ARM architecture from Qualcomm, Nvidia, and Texas Instruments, in addition to x86 processors from Intel and AMD.
In January of 2011, however, Microsoft announced last year that it is working with Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments to put a version of its Windows operating system on computers powered by the ARM-based processors now used in mobile phones and tables.
FORBES: HP Won't Build Tablet For Debut Of Microsoft Windows RT
It is a lot easier for us to come down into the tablet and phone space on Windows than it is for the ARM guys to come up into the PC space and deal with the fact that there is no legacy of compatibility.
FORBES: Intel Is Alive And Well: An Interview With CEO Paul Otellini
For one thing, this month the company is only launching the Windows RT version of Surface, running on an ARM-based processor.
FORBES: Microsoft: Don't Expect Office For iPad In The Near-Term
Microsoft is reportedly readying a new version of its Windows desktop and server software that will run on ARM processors.
FORBES: Challenging Intel, Nvidia Announces Supercomputer Processor
Such is the case with a trio of WiBro-capable PDAs being marketed under the Flyvo brand by POSDATA, all of which run Windows CE 5.0 Professional Plus on an ARM processor and let you get your 'net on with WiFi as well in case you have to travel outside of Korea.
Microsoft is planning to release a version of Windows that runs on tablet computers and smartphones, and powered by ARM chips, signifying a move away from relations with Intel.
FORBES: Morning Tech Wrap: Microsoft, LinkedIn, Mac App Store
Launching at the same time is a new member of the Windows family - Windows RT - designed for ARM-based tablets and available pre-installed on new devices.
Also, to Microsoft, every incremental dollar Intel makes on silicon over ARM silicon, is a lost opportunity to charge more for Windows and their applications.
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).
It's worth pointing out that the ARM-based WinRT (psst -- you can catch up on what exactly Windows RT is here ) model is both thinner and lighter than the version with Windows 8 Pro.
ENGADGET: Microsoft Surface tablets: the differences between Windows RT and Windows 8 Pro models
The company so far has not provided any pricing information on Surface tablets, indicating only that the ARM-based tablets will be priced comparably to other Windows RT-based tablets, and that the Intel version would likewise be priced comparably to similar devices from other manufacturers.
Currently, chipsets based on Arm's designs, such as Nvidia's popular Tegra processors, are unable to run Windows.
应用推荐