Microsoft announced during the International Consumer Electronics Show last Wednesday that it will make Windows run on Arm processors. Hardware companies such as NVidia are hoping that this will give them the opportunity to enter the PC industry.
With the entrance of Windows for Arm, users will have the option to purchase Arm-based computers instead of the typical x86 chipsets from Intel. At present Arm is widely used for tablets and smartphones but with Windows for the platform, Arm can now be used for PCs and servers.
Windows on Arm will initially be compatible for Arm-based chips from Qualcomm, NVidia, and Texas Instruments. When Microsoft announced the Windows for Arm OS at the CES, NVidia also announced that it will launch CPUs for servers and PCs that are based on Arm architecture.
Qualcomm and Texas Instrumentals are working together with Microsoft on Windows for Arm but both companies are focused on mobile applications. The said companies didn’t say whether they’ll go in the PC market but they say that Arm will give them new opportunities in the near future.
Other PC makers are now watching how Windows for Arm will change the industry. One of these companies waiting in the sidelines is Lenovo and its president and chief operating officer Rory Read said that Windows on Arm will let them offer products that enhance the seamless data flow.
