Why Windows 8 on ARM Matters

16.09.2011
If Windows 8 works successfully on , expect to see thin, light, and innovative devices coming our way. This includes ultra-thin laptops with impressive battery life, and super-light, large-screen tablets.

ARM-based 32-bit processors are relatively simple in design . This simplicity means they consume less power, which makes them perfect for use in --such as phones, tablets, and, soon, laptops. The core of the processor can be licensed by chipmakers, who, in turn, package integrate it into a system-on-chip processor that puts all of the components into a single, integrated circuit chip. The ARM core isn't new, but its traditionally been used with embedded systems or with portable devices that don't run Microsoft Windows.

That's about to change--and when it does, it could change the face of computing, as evidenced by the .

The beauty of these system-on-chip architectures is that they can be placed in very tight spaces. This obviously impacts case designs--I saw one impressive, not-publicly-shown tablet prototype at this week's BUILD conference: super-thin and super-sturdy, that weighed less than one pound and had a nine inch screen.

Saving space is just one of the benefits of ARM. Another benefit is low power consumption.

"We're seeing no restriction on form factor for the ARM devices," says Steve Horton, director of software and product management for Qualcomm. "Power is going to give you multiple differentiators--multiple days of use, or th ability to do a device that's super thin, or super light."