14 DAY TRIAL // All the rumors flying around about who might or might not start to make ARM chips have drawn Intel's attention, as the company stepped up and bluntly said it will not start making chips based on that architecture.
By now, end-users will be well aware of the veritable showdown that has started, or is about to get serious, between the ARM and x86 architectures.
Needless to say, tablets are the main battleground, with ARM solutions having held most of the field so far.
Then again, with the Oak Trail about to finally make a stronger push, it might just be that things will escalate for real over the next months.
Nevertheless, the question still arose on the IT market about whether or not Intel will ever consider licensing ARM technologies.
Apparently, the Santa Clara, California-based CPU maker wanted to make sure the rumors didn't get out of hand.
As such, the chip giant's CEO said that it intends to stick to the “x86 everywhere” strategy which it set in motion back when it sold Xscale, the only division it had that made ARM chips, to Marvell.
The company also said that just because Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 operating system will support ARM processors doesn't mean an instant win for the company currently dominating the mobile market.
"The version designed for Intel chips will run older Windows programs. The ARM versions won’t run older programs. They will be tailored to mobile devices and tablet computers and there will also be a version for Intel chips to address that market," said Renee James, head of Intel’s software business.
Ultimately, it is not financially-viable for Intel to start investing in ARM processors.
"There is no advantage going [into the ARM camp], we would be beholden to someone else, beholden to ARM. We would pay royalties to them so it would lower the overall profits. I think we can do a better," stated Paul Otellini, chief executive of Intel.