If Microsoft wants to have a chance with ARM hardware this time, it needs to get developers involved and be able to deliver games.
Try again
The latter appears not to be a problem: “Performance has been tested in limited test environments, and we don't know what the battery life will be like in practice. These are key questions when launching almost new consoles, and what about game performance? One thing is the lack of support, which is solved by The emulation route, but that means losing performance, right? No, says Issam Khalil, a Qualcomm developer, who believes that performance in x86 games in an ARM environment will provide almost 100 percent performance compared to x86.
Microsoft failed with Windows ARM last time because it lacked the right application ecosystem. There was also not enough hardware, and all software had to be digitally signed by Microsoft – a combination that was fatal for Windows RT, which launched in January 2011.
Promises good performance
But at least, whether the project fails this time or not, Google is already ready with Chrome for Windows ARM. Launching in collaboration with Qualcomm for the best possible performance, it is in beta testing for two months and is ready to announce the new Windows ARM and Snapdragon X Elite devices on May 21.
“We designed Chrome to be fast, secure, and easy to use across desktop and mobile devices. Our close collaboration with Qualcomm will help ensure Chrome users have the best possible experience while browsing the web on their current Arm-compatible PCs,” said Google's Hiroshi Lockheimer.
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