Why Windows 8 on ARM Matters If Windows 8 works successfully on
ARM-processor-equipped systems, expect to see thin, light, and
innovative devices coming our way. Such devices would include
ultrathin laptops with impressive battery life, and superlight,
large-screen tablets. ARM-based 32-bit processors are relatively
simple in design compared with Intel's chips. This simplicity
means that they consume less power, which makes them perfect for
use in devices designed to maximize battery life--such as
phones, tablets, and, soon, laptops. The core of the processor
can be licensed by chipmakers, who, in turn, can package it into
a system-on-chip processor that puts all of the components into
a single, integrated-circuit chip. The ARM core isn't new, but
it has traditionally been used with embedded systems or with
portable devices that don't run Microsoft Windows. That's about
to change--and when it does, it could change the face of
computing, as evidenced by the ARM prototypes demonstrated at
BUILD. The beauty of t