Microsoft Windows for ARM: Changing the Face of Tablets?

Written by Dave Courbanou 1
December 23, 2010

Bloomberg says Microsoft may launch an ARM version of Windows at CES 2011. Two people familiar with the 'confidential' matter leaked the apparent details. Is it true? We don't know yet, but we can always speculate.

Bloomberg says Microsoft may launch an ARM version of Windows at CES 2011. Two people familiar with the ‘confidential’ matter leaked the apparent details. Is it true? We don’t know yet, but we can always speculate. The implications of the ARM instruction set adapted to Windows could change the face of tablets as we know it. Here’s why:

Microsoft currently has versions of Windows that run on x86- and x64-bit CPUs, with a version that is being phased out for Intel’s IA-64 Itanium CPUs. Beyond that, the furthest away from the x86 core Microsoft has ever gone was with Windows NT Version 3.51 for PowerPC (which supported a few other RISC-based CPUs as well.) To say the least, Windows’ path in the computer world has been long and narrow, but it’s clearly worked.

Until recently. Current Windows-based tablets use an Intel Atom CPU or equivalent to achieve some sort of mobility and battery life. And that’s not to say it doesn’t work, because clearly it does. But the issue is that Windows isn’t optimized — it’s simply chugging along waiting for the CPU to perform the x86 instructions it would normally do on any x86 machine.

A complete rewrite of Windows for the ARM CPU (which happens to be RISC-based) means a pretty deep overhaul for the core OS. I believe that’s something Microsoft should have done from the beginning: Start from scratch. A renewed focus with a new CPU to aim the Windows platform at could mean all the software-level perks people enjoy from the Windows world would be realized on a much more mobile device like a tablet. Even — I suppose with some hacking — an iPad (or Galaxy Tablet). Efficiency, use of resources, speed and more could all be improved and reduced.

If Microsoft actually does it, you can expect a whole new ballgame for traditional Windows devices. I’m excited, and you should be too.

Sign up for The VAR Guy’s Weekly Newsletter, Webcasts and Resource Center. Follow The VAR Guy via RSS, Facebook and Twitter. Follow experts at VARtweet. Read The VAR Guy’s editorial disclosures here.