Thursday, December 8th 2011
Microsoft Tells ARM Partners to Pick Notebook Vendors
Windows (PC) will make its first transition to a machine architecture other than x86 in decades with Windows 8 Windows on ARM (WOA), and Microsoft wants to make absolutely sure that it has a well-oiled ecosystem in place to propel its growth. Currently, Microsoft picked three potent players among ARM processor vendors, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments (that have experience and can ship in Zerg volumes), and NVIDIA (which has demonstrated a lot of engineering potential with its latest Tegra products).
Microsoft reportedly asked the three ARM players to pick two notebook vendors each (one major, and one minor) with which they will work to develop some of the first WOA portable computing devices. Qualcomm selected Samsung and Sony, Texas Instruments chose Toshiba and Samsung, while NVIDIA chose Acer and Lenovo. Among these, Samsung, Toshiba, and Lenovo are the major partners. Surprisingly, Taiwan-based companies have an insignificant role in this ecosystem. ASUS, which has thus far been the largest client of NVIDIA for Tegra processors, has been left out. Now that downstream partners are selected, upstream ODMs such as Quanta Computer, Compal Electronics, Wistron and Pegatron Technology, which manufacture for those companies, are getting their R&D teams in shape to compete for the next-generation platform. The finishing line of ARM's marathon run to get into PCs is in sight.
Source:
DigiTimes
Microsoft reportedly asked the three ARM players to pick two notebook vendors each (one major, and one minor) with which they will work to develop some of the first WOA portable computing devices. Qualcomm selected Samsung and Sony, Texas Instruments chose Toshiba and Samsung, while NVIDIA chose Acer and Lenovo. Among these, Samsung, Toshiba, and Lenovo are the major partners. Surprisingly, Taiwan-based companies have an insignificant role in this ecosystem. ASUS, which has thus far been the largest client of NVIDIA for Tegra processors, has been left out. Now that downstream partners are selected, upstream ODMs such as Quanta Computer, Compal Electronics, Wistron and Pegatron Technology, which manufacture for those companies, are getting their R&D teams in shape to compete for the next-generation platform. The finishing line of ARM's marathon run to get into PCs is in sight.
19 Comments on Microsoft Tells ARM Partners to Pick Notebook Vendors
NVIDIA always wanted to be an x86 processor vendor, but Intel wanted it to stay away, simply because NVIDIA has 10 times the resources as AMD, and can make huge investments to R&D and come up with an x86 processor that's actually competitive with Intel at every level.
The only way NVIDIA can now get back at Intel is Microsoft Windows (PC) supporting another machine architecture than x86. It's done some great work with Tegra so far.
I like the choice of Samsung as a major vendor. Surprised that ASUS didn't make the cut with Nvidia.
Good luck, it'll be interesting to watch!
At last something is going against intel and my wallet will be happy about it no matter what i will choose :)
i certainly dont long for nvidia forceing their hand in cpu land physx style as their closed door attitude to open standards does my head in its against the concept of pcs
2 vendors kissing Samsungs ass? Amazing.
We have the convergence of process, technology, materials, and architecture happening.
ARM chips are also much cheaper to produce and the competition ensures low prices and innovation.
ARM Cortex A15 is said to be 2x faster than A9 clock for clock, plus it's designed to go up to 2.5 Ghz, effectively making it 4x faster than current ARM chips. All while mantaining the same TDP bracket. The extent to which that is true remains to be seen, but considering the wattage advantage they have, they can add a lot of performance, by means of making the architecture less efficient, something Intel/AMD can't do. And again whether they get close to AMD/Intel remains to be seen, but IMO they have a greater advantage as they don't need to directly compete with AMD/Intel in raw performance, they only need to reach a certain level so as to be enough for mainstream use. Most people who buy cheap laptops, nettops and even desktops, would gladly get something that is half the price, as long as it is capable enough.
Yeah this isn't a complete switch to a new hardware standard, but how long until that is? Windows 9, Windows 10? M$ better be planning for this. They need emulators in dev and ready. Hopefully they'll remember they did acquire VirtualPC. That was originally designed to run on Macs but it was from the time they had RISC hardware. Yeah it was terribly slow and buggy, but it could run CISC on RISC. M$ could refine it much better.
Doubt it would happen but it'd be awesome. :rockout:
Main features of windows "Fusion", kernel, network stack, explorer, 2D desktop, USB, would be ARM. Everything "power" like DirectX, .NET etc would remain on the x86 libraries.
bla bla bla
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instructions_per_second
How much does it cost VS a more fully featured CPU with a larger instruction sets for more fully featured content.
And yes I realize that 80% of computers out there run the hardcore games like farmville. But also know that people tend to buy the best of what they can afford, and people buy cars that go fast only to drive 75 on the interstate just like everyone else.
AMD E-350 == 3.125
AMD Phenom 2 X6 1100T == 3.9
Intel Atom == 1.2
ARM Cortex A15 == 3.5
ARM Cortex A9 == 2.5
Seems like it is ok compared to competing products. It's better than both Zacate and Atom and consuming far less and being smaller/cheaper.
Regarding how much cheaper they are to produce:
Nvidia's Tegra 3 with 4x A9 cores (actually 5 counting the low power companion core) is 80mm^2 on 40nm node, Zacate, dual core, is 75 mm^2, same 40nm, but requires an aditional chipset at 28 mm^2. And most competing ARM chips are smaller than Nvidia's Tegra BTW.