ARM-Based Windows 10 Portable PCs? Hell Yes

The last time we had ARM Windows machines, we got the Surface RT. I still have one of these that I occasionally bring to meetings to fool around and maybe put a ticket in with. It is not a great piece of equipment...

Re: ARM-Based Windows 10 Portable PCs? Hell Yes

#5

Post by RachelF » Thu, Dec 08, 2016, 4:40 AM UTC

We'll see. Full Windows x86 emulation will likely be slow.

It will be a harder sell the second time around, too as Windows RT burned a lot of people, and fewer trust Microsoft than before.

Re: ARM-Based Windows 10 Portable PCs? Hell Yes

#6

Post by MekaiGS » Thu, Dec 08, 2016, 4:46 AM UTC

RachelF wrote: post #5

We'll see. Full Windows x86 emulation will likely be slow. It will be a harder sell the second time around, too as Windows RT burned a lot of people, and fewer trust Microsoft than before.

This is not full x86 emulation, it only emulates x86 when you are running x86 apps. Windows/Office and other apps are running in native mode.

Re: ARM-Based Windows 10 Portable PCs? Hell Yes

#7

Post by pwnna » Thu, Dec 08, 2016, 4:47 AM UTC

Interesting development. Could this be a good thing that encourages OEM to standardize on something like the IBM-like PC that we have for x86 systems so we don't have to deal with each individual boards in Android or the traditional GNU/Linuxes?

Furthermore, if the x86 emulation turns out to be as fast as they promised and demo'ed, will this kind of technology be developed for desktop linux? Is it even necessary as most apps tend to be open source and can recompile already?

Re: ARM-Based Windows 10 Portable PCs? Hell Yes

#8

Post by mark-r » Thu, Dec 08, 2016, 4:51 AM UTC

douche wrote: post #4

The last time we had ARM Windows machines, we got the Surface RT. I still have one of these that I occasionally bring to meetings to fool around and maybe put a ticket in with. It is not a great piece of equipment...

It generally takes Microsoft 3 tries to get something right. Unfortunately their next ARM device will only be #2.

Re: ARM-Based Windows 10 Portable PCs? Hell Yes

#9

Post by filereaper » Thu, Dec 08, 2016, 4:55 AM UTC

pwnna wrote: post #7

Interesting development. Could this be a good thing that encourages OEM to standardize on something like the IBM-like PC that we have for x86 systems so we don't have to deal with each individual boards in Android or the traditional GNU/Linuxes? Furthermore, if the x86 emulation turns out to be as fast as they promised and demo'ed, will this kind of technology be developed for desktop linux? Is it even necessary as m…

I'm actually more interested in getting a standard ARMv8 laptop rather than a tablet to run Linux on it.

Windows 10 being an entry point to get these machines into the market is perfectly fine.

Re: ARM-Based Windows 10 Portable PCs? Hell Yes

#10

Post by RandomOpinion » Thu, Dec 08, 2016, 4:55 AM UTC

Interesting. I must say that I'm surprised that MS didn't give up on Continuum after Intel hosed them by cancelling their Broxton smartphone x86 chip. MS might just be throwing good money after bad.

The two keys will be performance and compatibility for the x86 emulation. If they can get it to the point where it's effectively as fast as Intel's low power Atoms while still keeping broad Win32 app compatibility, then Microsoft's Continuum concept is back on track to become a game changer.