branskyj Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 Hi all, I realize how speculative this topic could be, I don't have much of an experience in the area and was wondering about the upcoming Windows 8... IF it will run also on ARM processors (the once in some of the tablets these days) does that mean that all the normal applications we use under Windows 7 will also run with no problem on a tablet with ARM processor inside? Or not? I am asking because I got interested in ASUS Transformer but will buy it only if the above is true. Could anyone please explain. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJLynn Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 Highly doubtful. (Like, 99.999% doubtful.) Windows used to exist for PowerPC and Alpha architectures but currently only for x86, which will continue to be the case. The technical limitations are numerous. MS will probably come up with an ARM tablet OS eventually, because everybody else is doing it, but it will be a version of Windows Phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
branskyj Posted April 25, 2011 Author Share Posted April 25, 2011 Well that's kind of disappointing... I was hoping for some good news Cheers AJLynn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJLynn Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 You'll be able to get Windows 7 tablets soon, but they'll run x86 chips and not be as thin as iPads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
branskyj Posted April 25, 2011 Author Share Posted April 25, 2011 Thickness and battery longevity are not that much of an issue to me. As long as I can install normal applications on it and get GPU acceleration I'll be fine. Now that you mentioned Windows 7 tablets you got me thinking again...I think I will wait some more. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lehm Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 Windows 8 for ARM processors was announced in Jan. They showed IE 10/Windows 8 running on arm processors earlier this month. I don't know much about application support,but I kind of doubt x86 windows will run on arm. But haven't heard anything for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJLynn Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 Well I'll be damned. Hope they get it to actually work - regular Windows is a big square peg and ARM is a small circular hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
branskyj Posted May 18, 2011 Author Share Posted May 18, 2011 Bad news, I just finished reading this: "We already knew that there would be multiple flavors of the next version of Windows. This is, after all, Microsoft, and if it isn't available in dozens of different SKUs, one for each rung on the ladder from student to corporate executive, then it isn't worth stamping to a disc and throwing in a box. However, thanks to Intel Senior Vice President Renee James, we now know for sure that there will be a decisive split between the various ARM and x86 editions. James confirmed yesterday that x86 versions will work just fine on Intel, AMD, and other compatible chips, running all your legacy applications with aplomb. However, the ARM versions of the OS (which may number as many as six) won't include any sort of instruction emulation, James saying "Our competitors will not be running legacy applications. Not now. Not ever." That's something that Intel CEO Paul Otellini hinted at back at CES, which means Office running on ARM must have been a re-write -- or at least a re-compile. That's bad news for anyone hoping they'd be able to install Command & Conquer Collector's Edition on the Tegra-powered Windows 8 tablet of their dreams. James additionally indicated there will be four separate Windows 8 ARM SoCs, meaning someone has joined NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and TI since the CES unveil. Intrigue!" Oh well, I guess it wasn't meant to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dollus Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 if you are looking at the Asus Transformer, why not the Asus EP121 instead? it's running intel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
branskyj Posted May 22, 2011 Author Share Posted May 22, 2011 I actually went a different route- just got HP dm1 3100, an 11" AMD netbook with Fusion technology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJLynn Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 11.6" is a good size - still very small, but a lot more powerful than those 10" models and the keyboards tend to be a lot better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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