Windows 8 on ARM

[Dr. C]

This is a radical and necessary move by Microsoft http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/215779/windows_8_on_arm_expands_microsofts_mobile_horizon s.html The trouble is that x86 and ARM and not binary compatible, and that means that third party propriety software and drivers will not be ported in all cases. FLOSS on the other will not have this problem.

[Merk42]

This is a radical and necessary move by Microsoft http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/215779/windows_8_on_arm_expands_microsofts_mobile_horizon s.html The trouble is that x86 and ARM and not binary compatible, and that means that third party propriety software and drivers will not be ported in all cases. FLOSS on the other will not have this problem.Yea, FLOSS can't get drivers written for it for x86 OR ARM! :P

[juancarlospaco]

ARM meets LAG

[Dr. C]

Yea, FLOSS can't get drivers written for it for x86 OR ARM! :P

Actually GNU / Linux has much better 64bit driver support than Windows especially for legacy hardware.

[Spr0k3t]

Nevertheless, I still can't wait for ARM mainstream hardware so I can drop Linux onto them.

[Paqman]

This is a good thing for Linux users. The lack of availability of (decent) Windows on ARM is what's been holding back OEMs from launching ARM-powered devices like netbooks. There have been a few tentative offerings, but nothing serious. The only ARM devices we've been seeing are tablets running Android. With a popular desktop OS becoming available on ARM it'll mean we see a better range of ARM machines hitting the stores. Which we can then wipe and put Linux on.

[szymon_g]

so... how the average Joe will benefit from that? x86 is still far more powerfull (clock vs clock), it is enough energy-efficient (compare battery life of /usually crappy/ smartbooks vs netbooks/notebooks), and most of software works on it.

[Grenage]

so... how the average Joe will benefit from that? x86 is still far more powerfull (clock vs clock), it is enough energy-efficient (compare battery life of /usually crappy/ smartbooks vs netbooks/notebooks), and most of software works on it.

Low power and heat, good speed - and diversification leads to a better market. If people had always said "well this way has always worked for us in the past", I doubt we'd have a fraction of the tech we have now.

[ssam]

linux and 99% of opensource apps have worked fine on ARM for years.

want a low power home server, get a beaglebaord, or pandabaord, or Linksys NSLU2 or sheevaplug. stick ubuntu or debian or whatever else you fancy on it.

it will be nice to have some choice of ARM laptops. but i expect many will be locked to only run the manufacturers firmware/OS.

[dh04000]

linux and 99% of opensource apps have worked fine on ARM for years.

want a low power home server, get a beaglebaord, or pandabaord, or Linksys NSLU2 or sheevaplug. stick ubuntu or debian or whatever else you fancy on it.

it will be nice to have some choice of ARM laptops. but i expect many will be locked to only run the manufacturers firmware/OS.



I know that linux and gnome work on ARM, but do apps work? Does compiz work on ARM? What about out apps like OO or VLC?

[Spr0k3t]

Any app that can be compiled should have no problems working on ARM processors. I believe that leaves out the closed binary apps and drivers.

[NMFTM]

Any app that can be compiled should have no problems working on ARM processors. I believe that leaves out the closed binary apps and drivers.
I know that can be done most of the time, emulators and the like being the odd exception because it often involves very lower level code. But, is it always just that simple?