Studio Vanss

How to Think About Windows on ARM

The first time I went to see Microsoft, it was still up in Bellevue, Washington and it employed about 70 people. This is a company that I have followed even closer than Apple over the years and I’ve interacted with almost all of its leaders since 1982. I have even worked on various Microsoft projects from time to time. And as a PC analyst, I was expected to follow all of the company’s moves closely, as they had a major impact on the industry and all of my customers. Consequently, I came to understand clearly every version of Windows, including a few detours like OS2 and the first Pen Computing version of Windows. One thing that has remained constant in the development of every Windows version is the strict commitment to ensure that all legacy apps work in any new version. This has been both good and bad for Microsoft and the user community; good in that it guarantees legacy support for almost all applications created for Windows, but bad because to achieve this level of backward software compatibility, it has meant that Microsoft must build new versions on top of older versions. In the process, the OS code grew and grew so that today it is probably one of the largest, by actual code base, software operating systems on the market. It became too large and inefficient to deliver one major thing customers really want—Windows instant boot and instant on from hibernation or sleep. Ultimately, customer’s want an OS that is more responsive and flexible. Any new versions of Windows built on old Windows simply lacks that kind of feature set. This has led many media outlets and analysts, including myself, to suggest that Microsoft make a clean break from Windows. It should instead create a fresh and clean version of an OS optimized for the next generation of devices, especially since the new world of computing is moving to the cloud. Until recently, Microsoft fought hard to keep Windows moving forward, with full legacy app support being a cornerstone of its design. As far as I can tell, that is still true with Windows 8 on Intel-based processors. But the more I hear about Windows on ARM (WOA), the more I sense that, with this OS, Microsoft is finally taking the big leap of faith. Possibly, it is creating a version of Windows that is much slimmer yet very powerful. For apps to work on this version of the OS, software developers have two choices: They can recompile the current app completely, customizing it for native use within the new Metro UI, or write apps anew from scratch to support Windows on ARM devices. Indeed, if you look at the plethora of software development tools released at its recent Build conference, you can almost hear Microsoft telling developers to start over. It clearly wants people to create new apps for Win 8 on both x86 and WOA. Looking forward, I notice the new platform for them with this OS is Windows 8 on ARM—a very important fact for both developers and customers. In fact, if this is done right, it could not only revitalize Microsoft but the entire existing PC industry, keeping Microsoft relevant for many more years. Its gutsy goal is to give developers a set of tools that will let them create a single app that works across smartphones, tablets and PCs. I say it’s gutsy because nobody has been able to do this so far. In no way does this mean the existing PC market or ecosystem with thousands of apps available for it on x86 will vanish any time soon. Some people will demand legacy apps for another 10 to15 years or so, if history is any guide. But think about Win 8 on ARM as a completely new software palette that Microsoft and its developers can paint into new devices of all sizes and shapes.  Readmore