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By not allowing legacy apps on ARM microsoft would not have any leverage in the tablet space. If I have a choice between iOS and Windows ARM where the former ha

by barista 15y ago

By not allowing legacy apps on ARM microsoft would not have any leverage in the tablet space. If I have a choice between iOS and Windows ARM where the former had a ton of apps and latter doesn't have many, then why would ?I choose windows? It's the same Windows Phone story again. No matter how superior it is to the iPhone, it will lose out for the lack of apps. Microsoft knows this. I won't be surprised if they have more nd more support for legacy API and applications on ARM over time.

runevault 15y ago
The problem is a lot of legacy apps won't run on ARM anyway because they are compiled to x86/x64. This just avoids people buying an ARM laptop and expecting their copy of Office 2007 to work.
illumin8 15y ago
I believe Microsoft has already stated that only Metro apps will run on ARM (no legacy x86 apps): http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/will-windows-8-run-x86-apps-arm-tablets-or-not-173498 http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/will-windows-8-... Steve Sinofsky: "We've been very clear since the very first CES demos and forward that the ARM product won't run any X86 applications. We've done a bunch of work to enable that -- enable a great experience there, particularly around devices and device drivers... [W]hat we announced yesterday for the first time was that when you write a Metro style application, all the tools are there to enable you in any of the languages that we support to automatically support ARM or X86. I think that's the key part of everything that we'll run." Why does the argument that by some magic you'll be able to purchase an iPad-like Windows 8 tablet and run full blown desktop Microsoft Office keep cropping up? There will probably be a version of MS Works that is written for the Metro touch interface that will work on ARM, but the performance of an x86 desktop application running in an emulator on ARM would be atrocious and everybody knows it.
- wmf 15y ago
  There are three types of Win8 apps: Metro, Win32/ARM, and Win32/x86. The question is whether Win32/ARM apps will be allowed. Why does the argument that by some magic you'll be able to purchase an iPad-like Windows 8 tablet and run full blown desktop Microsoft Office keep cropping up? Because people like Office, MS makes a lot of money from Office, and MS actually showed full-blown desktop Office running on ARM a few months ago.
- galadriel 15y ago
  Microsoft has already shown a version of Office running on ARM natively. For lot of current Windows app written in .NET or standard Windows API, the transition should be easy so long as MS maintains the same API's across architecture. Only problem would be for old legacy software where company that maintained it is out of business, or software that heavily relies on kernel specific functionality, etc
stonemetal 15y ago
There should be some legacy apps that will run. Especially if non-phone ARM devices get the full .net framework.

by barista 15y ago

runevault 15y ago

The problem is a lot of legacy apps won't run on ARM anyway because they are compiled to x86/x64. This just avoids people buying an ARM laptop and expecting their copy of Office 2007 to work.

illumin8 15y ago

I believe Microsoft has already stated that only Metro apps will run on ARM (no legacy x86 apps): http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/will-windows-8-run-x86-apps-arm-tablets-or-not-173498 http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/will-windows-8-... Steve Sinofsky: "We've been very clear since the very first CES demos and forward that the ARM product won't run any X86 applications. We've done a bunch of work to enable that -- enable a great experience there, particularly around devices and device drivers... [W]hat we announced yesterday for the first time was that when you write a Metro style application, all the tools are there to enable you in any of the languages that we support to automatically support ARM or X86. I think that's the key part of everything that we'll run." Why does the argument that by some magic you'll be able to purchase an iPad-like Windows 8 tablet and run full blown desktop Microsoft Office keep cropping up? There will probably be a version of MS Works that is written for the Metro touch interface that will work on ARM, but the performance of an x86 desktop application running in an emulator on ARM would be atrocious and everybody knows it.

wmf 15y ago
There are three types of Win8 apps: Metro, Win32/ARM, and Win32/x86. The question is whether Win32/ARM apps will be allowed. Why does the argument that by some magic you'll be able to purchase an iPad-like Windows 8 tablet and run full blown desktop Microsoft Office keep cropping up? Because people like Office, MS makes a lot of money from Office, and MS actually showed full-blown desktop Office running on ARM a few months ago.
galadriel 15y ago
Microsoft has already shown a version of Office running on ARM natively. For lot of current Windows app written in .NET or standard Windows API, the transition should be easy so long as MS maintains the same API's across architecture. Only problem would be for old legacy software where company that maintained it is out of business, or software that heavily relies on kernel specific functionality, etc

stonemetal 15y ago

There should be some legacy apps that will run. Especially if non-phone ARM devices get the full .net framework.