14 DAY TRIAL // It appears that Microsoft's recent decision to begin supporting ARM processors starting with Windows 8 did not go by in the least unnoticed, as a certain ARM co-founder actually went as far as saying that Microsoft needed ARM on the tablet market.
While Microsoft did offer ARM support on its Windows Phone, Windows CE, Windows mobile and windows for Pocket PC, those platforms did not gain popularity.
The OS developer also failed to offer a suitable OS when netbooks first took off, settling for Windows XP and only later bringing out Windows 7 Starter.
Now, the company is faced with a similar situation, this time involving tablets, which aren't very well serviced by Windows 7.
There is also the fact that many such slates run ARM processors, on which Windows 7 isn't an option anyway.
Thus, not too long ago, it was revealed that Windows 8 would support ARM, a piece of news that Intel didn't seem to mind overmuch.
Whatever leaks have so far come forth say that Windows 8 will possibly be able to transform itself according to the form factor of the device it is loaded onto.
With tablets clearly set to be included, whether x86 or ARM-based, it may also turn out that Windows 7 will run on smartphones as well.
That said, even though, technically, one might say ARM needs windows support if slates based on its chips are to gain traction, a co-founder of the company boldly said recently that it is Microsoft that has need of it.
"Microsoft needs ARM to have any chance of playing in that (mobile Internet) space. With Microsoft, for some time it's been more a question of when, not whether, and finally it's now. We have been coaching and cajoling Microsoft for some time," said Tudor Brown, the president of ARM, according to Reuters.