As Windows 8 Consumer Preview Nears, Microsoft’s ARM Strategy Comes into Focus

Developers have been kicking the tires on Windows 8 for months, evaluating its capabilities and preparing their software for the operating system’s release. Later this month, Microsoft plans to let the general public get in on the act.

On February 29, Microsoft will host a Windows 8 Customer Preview event during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. It will serve as the launch of a pre-release version of Windows 8 for consumers.

Why make an OS-related announcement during a mobile trade show? Tablets, naturally.

Windows still dominates on desktops and notebooks, but Microsoft has a problem. In the years since Windows 7’s release, consumers have flocked to tablets, particularly Apple’s iPad. Watching new software market opportunities open up, developers have been pouring their efforts into iOS and Android, establishing healthy app ecosystems for both platforms. Microsoft has been stuck watching from the sidelines.

With Windows 8, the software giant hopes to change that.

ARMed for the Tablet Wars

The software giant sees an opportunity to bridge the tablet and the desktop. In addition to supporting traditional x86 chips, the company has been working to get Windows to run on ARM-based processors — the energy-efficient chip architecture favored by tablet makers.

Microsoft is also attempting to dispel the notion that Windows on ARM (WOA) will be a touch-friendly, Windows-lite environment. Users can expect the same Windows 8 experience between x86 hardware and ARM devices, according to Microsoft’s President of Windows and Windows Live, Steven Sinofsky.

In an MSDN blog post, Sinofsky explains the deep level of commonality between WOA and its x86 counterpart. He writes, “Using WOA ‘out of the box’ will feel just like using Windows 8 on x86/64. You will sign in the same way. You will start and launch apps the same way.”

And about Windows desktop on ARM? You bet.

“You will have access to the intrinsic capabilities of Windows, from the new Start screen and Metro style apps and Internet Explorer, to peripherals, and if you wish, the Windows desktop with tools like Windows File Explorer and desktop Internet Explorer,” he adds.

WOA will also apparently “include” a productivity suite codenamed “Office 15,” that preserves file format and document compatibility with older versions. Office 15 will be comprised of touch-optimized, desktop versions of the Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.

But don’t expect native x86 code to run on ARM tablets. Developers writing Metro style apps can enjoy seamless cross-compatibility as long as they target the WinRT API. Otherwise, Microsoft pledges that it will support both x86 and WOA versions of software by accommodating both in its app store.

Whether Microsoft strategy will pay off is a hotly debated topic. In the months leading up to the Windows 8 launch, however, it’s evident that the company means business when it comes to tablets. And with the Office 15 on WOA reveal, it’s also betting on tablets for business.

Pedro Hernandez is a contributor to the IT Business Edge Network, the network for technology professionals.

RELATED NEWS AND ANALYSIS

• Huawei’s AI Update: Things Are Moving Faster Than We Think

  FEATURE |  By Rob Enderle,
  December 04, 2020

• Keeping Machine Learning Algorithms Honest in the ‘Ethics-First’ Era

  ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By Guest Author,
  November 18, 2020

• Key Trends in Chatbots and RPA

  FEATURE |  By Guest Author,
  November 10, 2020

• Top 10 AIOps Companies

  FEATURE |  By Samuel Greengard,
  November 05, 2020

• What is Text Analysis?

  ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By Guest Author,
  November 02, 2020

• How Intel’s Work With Autonomous Cars Could Redefine General Purpose AI

  ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By Rob Enderle,
  October 29, 2020

• Dell Technologies World: Weaving Together Human And Machine Interaction For AI And Robotics

  ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By Rob Enderle,
  October 23, 2020

• The Super Moderator, or How IBM Project Debater Could Save Social Media

  FEATURE |  By Rob Enderle,
  October 16, 2020

• Top 10 Chatbot Platforms

  FEATURE |  By Cynthia Harvey,
  October 07, 2020

• Finding a Career Path in AI

  ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By Guest Author,
  October 05, 2020

• CIOs Discuss the Promise of AI and Data Science

  FEATURE |  By Guest Author,
  September 25, 2020

• Microsoft Is Building An AI Product That Could Predict The Future

  FEATURE |  By Rob Enderle,
  September 25, 2020

• Top 10 Machine Learning Companies 2020

  FEATURE |  By Cynthia Harvey,
  September 22, 2020

• NVIDIA and ARM: Massively Changing The AI Landscape

  ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By Rob Enderle,
  September 18, 2020

• Continuous Intelligence: Expert Discussion [Video and Podcast]

  ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By James Maguire,
  September 14, 2020

• Artificial Intelligence: Governance and Ethics [Video]

  ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By James Maguire,
  September 13, 2020

• IBM Watson At The US Open: Showcasing The Power Of A Mature Enterprise-Class AI

  FEATURE |  By Rob Enderle,
  September 11, 2020

• Artificial Intelligence: Perception vs. Reality

  FEATURE |  By James Maguire,
  September 09, 2020

• Anticipating The Coming Wave Of AI Enhanced PCs

  FEATURE |  By Rob Enderle,
  September 05, 2020

• The Critical Nature Of IBM’s NLP (Natural Language Processing) Effort

  ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By Rob Enderle,
  August 14, 2020