Interesting stuff! So M$ basically realizes that Intel and AMD CPU's can't compete with Apple's M1/M2/M3 so it plans on developing its own ARM based chips, which means that Windows 12 will also be optimized for it. But will most X86 apps run correctly on it, that's the question. https://www.windowslatest.com/2023/...m-chip-macbook-with-new-arm-chips-windows-12/
I thought this article was pretty interesting. But it seems like most software will need to get redesigned on Windows ARM, so I don't think it will become big anytime soon. https://www.laptopmag.com/laptops/whats-it-like-to-live-with-an-arm-based-windows-pc-in-2023
Exclusive-Nvidia to make Arm-based PC chips in major new challenge to Intel https://www.reuters.com/article/nvidia-chips-exclusive-idTRNIKBN31N1AC I wish user will have an option to purge Windows and install Gnu/Linux
I doubt this is as much of a "can't compete with Apple" (less than 10% market share) then it is an opportunity to make the same hardware for desktop and mobile. It would save a lot of development time. And money.
It is probably only mental shortcuts. Of course Windows can compete in market share with Apple due to Apple's pricey portfolio of products as well as technical issues of porting all 3rd party software to Mac OS. On the other hand performance-to-energy-consumed of Apple Silicon in laptops is incredible. Given that average not-playing-games-on-laptop Joe doesn't really need maximum performance on the market. Heck, even software developers at work do not need that much work laptop cpu power anymore, since development environment is increasingly moving to cloud*, so performance-per-watt, connectivity and overall smoothness matters most. *be it private, hybrid, or public cloud
Intel doesn’t think that Arm CPUs will make a dent in the laptop market https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/10/intels-ceo-doesnt-seem-worried-about-arm-chips-from-qualcomm-nvidia-or-amd/ In my opinion Intel is wrong. Times has changed. ARM performance improved. External devices use Bluetooth and Wifi for interaction instead of cable+Windows driver combo. Software industry is much more flexible with providing software across Windows, Mac, iOS, Android platforms. A lot of software used today is in the form of cloud/web-app. If Microsoft makes some usable x86 emulator then there should be no major blocker for a whole lot of users to move to Windows ARM version. Not for everybody of course: some niche software may not work or be buggy, drivers for external devices may not work, people using laptop for gaming won't be keen on changes etc Whole lot of users may not move to Windows-ARM, but if only 10%-20% of current user-base is ok with Windows-ARM then it will be an good-enough success for the ARM industry in Microsoft ecosystem to maintain permament user base.
I see what you mean, Intel and AMD should be worried. Many people probably use only a couple of popular apps that can be redesigned for ARM, similar to on macOS. Not sure about the x86 emulator though, it will probably be too slow. But I think Nvidia and Qualcomm entering the Windows laptop market can cause a lot of excitement. Especially for people who need better battery life and faster performance. I'm guessing that I will probably stick to Intel and AMD, for now.
Oh yes, I missed this. And not to forget, Microsoft itself is also working on ARM chips. And I just read about Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite that will launch next year and claims to be faster than Intel's Core 7 and Apple's M2 laptop CPU's. I also forgot that another cool thing about ARM based chips is that laptops can be made fanless. https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/24...n-x-elite-processor-availability-release-date
I wonder which price and performance segment is best for this attempt at initial dent in Windows x86 ecosystem. Low-end is not attractive for vendors. And there is some competition from Chromebooks. On the other hand Apple has very good marketing and loyal customers, so to speak. Many former or current Windows users has had negative experiences or at least experiences far from seamless with Microsoft's OS. I don't think Windows on ARM may have good sales at same price class as Apple's laptops, even with the fastest ARM CPU on the market. Same applies against premium x86 laptops - users want cousing of seamlesness: compatibility and familiarity. At least not yet. I think they need to prove itself in middle segment before customers will want to buy it eventually at premium prices.
At the end of the day, it comes down to available software and their performance. If you can get the 100 most popular Windows apps to work on ARM without needing emulation, it can become a success. But I personally still rely on less known apps that probably won't be redesigned for ARM, and for me things like battery life isn't important since I use my laptop mostly at home. So I will probably stick with Intel or AMD.
I came across this article, where is confirmed that emulation is pretty bad at the moment. https://www.xda-developers.com/google-holding-back-native-browsers-windows-on-arm/
Didn't even knew about Win RT, which apparently was based on Win 8. But basically, Windows 12 is going to get optimized for ARM even more because of the upcoming ARM CPU's from Qualcomm, MS and AMD. We all know that currently AMD and Intel CPU's can't compete with Apple's M chips.
