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Running Win32 desktop applications on an ARM tablet no longer a pipe-dream


Running Win32 desktop applications on an ARM tablet no longer a pipe-dream

Remember that awful Windows RT, powering the ill-fated Microsoft Surface 2? No, there is no reason to panic and wake up screaming in the middle of the night anymore: Windows RT remains a distant memory from a pre-Nadella world that won’t come back, even as a zombie.

What will come back, apparently, is the idea of running full Win32 desktop apps, on ARM devices, like the defunct Surface 2.

Before asking the obvious question, the answer is no. Your old Samsung Galaxy Tab, or even any surviving Surface 2, will not be able to accomplish this feat, which will be, most likely, exclusive to a brand new generation of low-specs devices, powered by a new breed of ARM chips that are way beyond the anemic landscape of mobile chips we have gotten used to for the past decade.

A recent partnership between Microsoft and Qualcomm, the latter of which is most notable for providing hardware components for many device manufacturers, including Apple, was announced at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference in Shenzhen, China.

Said partnership will be a starting point for both companies to produce low-cost Windows 10 PCs for budget consumers.

These PCs will be similar, at least in concept, to many “PC-on-a-stick”, already on the market, but with far more powerful specs, as a considerably cheaper price compared to regular laptops and desktop systems.

The rise of low-cost PCs has been significant, as companies continue to focus on building high-end machines for business customers and professionals. Products like Google Chromebook are a fine example of what happens when consumers have a choice of a PC that does less, overall, but the little it does focuses on what budget consumers actually want to accomplish, which doesn’t go very far beyond online shopping, word processing, web browsing, and email.

The problem is that anyone with a smartphone can do all that and more, which begs the question of how long the Chromebook and similar products have before running their course.

ARM PC’s, as great as they have been, have had little to offer to those who are looking for something that can do more than a their smartphones and iPads combined. Yet, most would ideally go for a form factor that allows for a more portable experience, which means a 2-in-1 device, with a 2-in-1 price tag.

Future ARM laptops capable of running Windows 10, is Microsoft and Qualcomm continue their happy venture, may become a game changer for budget consumers looking to be able to accomplish more, without breaking the bank.

Also, ARM has several advantages, such as battery life, and easier cellular connectivity, to be able to get Internet access where WiFi isn’t an option.


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