Toshiba, Samsung and Lenovo Leading Windows on ARM
Microsoft has instructed Nvidia, Quaslcomm and Texas Instruments to choose two partners for Windows on ARM products.
Microsoft has reportedly instructed Nvidia, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments -- the three major ARM-based SoC manufacturers -- to pick two tablet/notebooks partners for developing Windows on ARM projects. These partners will consist of one major partner and one minor partner, the latter investing less on technical resources than the former.
According to unnamed sources from the upstream supply chain, Nvidia has chosen Lenovo as its Windows on ARM primary partner and Acer as its secondary partner while leaving Asus -- the largest client of Nvidia's Tegra series during 2011 -- out in the cold. Qualcomm has selected Samsung Electronics and Sony as its primary and secondary, and Texas Instruments has selected Toshiba and Samsung respectively.
On Monday the sources claimed that both Qualcomm and Texas Instruments are clamoring over Samsung because of the Korean company's strengths in component manufacturing and a leading position in both the non-Apple PC and smartphone sectors. Meanwhile, Nvidia has has reportedly selected Lenovo because of its strong ties with the Chinese market.
As reported earlier, Windows on ARM tablets aren't expected to hit the market until mid-2013. That should give upstream ODMs Quanta Computer, Compal Electronics, Wistron and Pegatron Technology plenty of time to develop competing products.
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Kevin Parrish has over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and product tester. His work focused on computer hardware, networking equipment, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others.
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NapoleonDK The stage is set, sides have been taken, the battle will soon begin. Can't wait to see them duke it out in the ring in 2013. ;)Reply -
joytech22 I saw a Windows 7 tablet the other day with an i5 @ 1.6GHz from Samsung /w 128GB SSD, 2GB RAM, but sadly the TERRIBLE and I mean it too.. TERRIBLE Intel IGP (HD4000).. Which has FPS issues in the Windows 7 chess game..Reply
Still it was amazing imho.
I really hope Nvidia's Kal-El performs on a similar level with Windows 8, because what I saw from that Samsung tablet is exactly the kind of experience I want from a device like that. -
dasper ReplyMicrosoft has instructed Nvidia, Quaslcomm and Texas Instruments to choose two partners for Windows on ARM products.
Quaslcomm feels like a name I have not heard in a long time, if not ever.
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_Cubase_ nieurplease stop using that picture of steve ballmer again and againReply
Hahaha I agree. And putting his image inside different device screens does not count! -
saturnus dasperQuaslcomm feels like a name I have not heard in a long time, if not ever.Reply
Maybe their highly popular SNAPDRAGON series of SoCs rings a bell. -
jjmch I heard Microsoft has two programs. The first is a chip vendor has to choose 2 OEMs and Microsoft promises some supports. The other is a chip vendor chooses as many OEMs as it wants but Microsoft promises little supports. Asus must work with one of the three vendors under the later program.Reply -
Device Unknown umm, maybe this article is more true than we thought! http://deviceunknown.com/?p=171Reply
This article outlines basically how ARM is taking over and pushing x86 out the door.