ARM-Based Notebooks Are On The Way

[topgear]

Here comes the first wave of notebooks sporting processors based on ARM's architecture.

Unnamed sources are reporting that industry heavyweights Samsung, Toshiba, Acer and Asus are currently working on notebooks using ARM-based processors, one of which is a 13-inch solution from Asus using Nvidia's ARM-based Tegra and Google's Android OS.

But the sources also pointed out that ARM-based notebooks sporting an Android OS hit the market a few years back under the "smartbook" name. These essentially tanked because consumers expected the same compatibility and performance seen with traditional laptops. However, this new round of ARM-based notebooks should be more successful given that the processors are multi-core and storage capacities have inflated. And thanks to the beefed up processing capabilities, these notebooks will have an enhanced user interface.

Given that ARM-based chips are usually more energy efficient than x86 solutions provided by Intel and AMD, industry sources believe that this new line of notebooks will actually create a brand new market segment in the IT industry. ARM-based solutions are generally cheaper too, and will likely bring surprisingly low price tags to these notebooks, possibly $299 or less. Then again, with Windows 8 installed, the price points will be substantially steeper than those with Chrome or Ubuntu installed.

A few weeks ago, ARM chief executive officer Tudor Brown said that Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 OS – which we saw running on ARM-based SoCs back in January – will actually push its technology into 40-percent of the market's netbooks by 2015. He also estimated that ARM will command 85-percent of the tablet market in that same year.

According to Brown, the combination of Windows 8 and ARM-based processors will seemingly take the emphasis off solving heating problems caused by current (Intel) x86 solutions and drive industry innovation, thus resulting in even lighter, cheaper, and longer lasting battery standards.

Thursday industry sources said that the reported ARM-based notebooks from Samsung, Toshiba, Acer and Asus are expected to arrive possibly by the end of 2011 although Windows 8 models won't hit store shelves until 2012.

Source

[Sam]

Windows 8 Starter Edition (if there will be any) may bring cheaper windows to the masses powered by ARM. but problems will follow when you start to miss the common windows softwares as they mayn't have a version to run on ARM proccy.

[Liverpool_fan]

This is a big opportunity for Linux distros like Ubuntu. Sadly the financial clout of MSFT will ensure more such notebooks are pre-loaded with a crapped up version of Windows, similar to the way Windows XP of all OSes got with the Netbooks.
The lack of applications for Windows ARM version, is not the problem in case of Linux due to its open source ecosystem. Sadly this doesn't hold true for proprietary garbage like Flash, etc.

[sygeek]

This is probably going to be shipped with Windows 8.

[Vyom]

Originally Posted by topgear

Unnamed sources are reporting that industry heavyweights Samsung, Toshiba, Acer and Asus are currently working on notebooks using ARM-based processors, one of which is a 13-inch solution from Asus using Nvidia's ARM-based Tegra and Google's Android OS.

Does that mean, these laptops would have 13" screen size?
It would be best if at around $299, we get a screen size of above 13" !!

[Tech&ME]

^^
Don't be in MYTH!!

Windows 8 is powerful, and also has all the legacy and third party software support on it.

There is NO EDITIONS of this OS, Windows 8 will have a SINGLE EDITION.

Ubuntu is ok but the proprietary plugin, softwares, and the likes are missing in it. Now if OEMs desides to Pre-Install Ubuntu they will have to pay for the proprietary plugin, software, etc, which will cost the Manufacturer at the End of the Day! So, they will prefer to have Windows 8 on it for all legacy support and easy of use.

[Liverpool_fan]

It depends on the manufacturer on whether to bundle the Fluendo codecs, Flash, Java, etc. If they leave it to the user, obviously they don't have to pay but will be flooded with support calls and won't be a good idea in any case.

I think Canonical does offer OEM for these stuff for some price, something which will increase the software costs, killing any cost advantage over a subsidized Windows copy particularly further sponsored by the crapware the OEMs load it with.

Mind you with ARM, there's more of an equal footing since legacy support for Windows is non-existent and the existing 3rd party x86 Windows app infrastructure doesn't necessarily translate to the ARM.

This is going to be interesting though, provided ARM notebooks sell in the first place...

[Scientia Wiz]

I think it will be with Windows 8 !

[ico]

Running software compiled for x86/amd64 in ARM Windows 8 would require emulation i.e. performance penalty. You will have to recompile software for ARM architecture if you want to run them fine. And ARM processors are weak atm for emulation although very power efficient.

[comp@ddict]

I would love a 15k 14" notebook which can play videos, let me surf, and other essentials 95% of users use their notebooks for everything except games.