NEW YORK, NY – Tech giant Microsoft, in cooperation with semiconductor and telecommunications company Qualcomm, officially released on Tuesday the first Windows 10 computers powered by the Advanced RISC Machines (ARM) system.
HP, Asus, and Lenovo are said to be the first companies to distribute these new computers, which will be driven by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor. HP and Asus have also launched their laptops on the same day, while Lenovo is anticipated to follow soon.
Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system and Qualcomm’s enhanced processor would differentiate the new products from traditional 2-in-1 tablet/laptop computers that have Intel-based processors, The Verge reported.
The new ARM-powered laptops will reportedly “look and feel” like regular laptops, which will cater to almost all of the popular software available today. However, the major difference will be the battery life and its LTE connectivity.
This means that the new laptops would work more similar to a tablet or smartphone than a conventional one. Closing the lid will not drain the battery, and opening it would right away resume the computer without having to boot, much like what a mobile device does.
HP’s and Asus’ laptops are reportedly limited to Windows 10 S, which only allows Windows Store apps installation. Then again, users are permitted to try a Windows 10 Pro upgrade for free for the time being to enjoy a full apps availability.
Windows processes, the Microsoft Edge web browser, and the shell will all be able to run natively without emulation, as ARM chipsets control the operating system. Microsoft has considered the best third-party desktop apps as well, compiling system DLLs to make sure that the device’s performance would be reliable on any application.
This is not the first time Microsoft had tried to use the ARM system, though.
Back in 2012, the tech company launched ARM-based computers called the Surface RT, which ran on Windows RT OS. The device failed mainly because of the software, according to TechCrunch, as it could not handle a lot of applications (e.g. Photoshop, Chrome) at that time.
Microsoft’s current ARM-based device has improved by leaps and bounds, as any program has now become virtually accessible.
Talking about battery life, the report noted that the current laptops would not drain for one or two days. It also said that the computers could soon evolve to stay on for one week without needing a recharge.
HP and Asus claimed that the first laptops they release would provide more than 20 hours of battery life when active and almost a month if idle.
Overall, the advantages of these new laptops are in performance and battery life. It was said that this is only the beginning for these kinds of devices as more mobile devices and hybrid gadgets are predicted to run on this new system quite soon.
Microsoft and Qualcomm have only scratched the surface of the ARM processor, per The Verge. There are speculations that the companies will launch an ARM-powered “notepad-like device” next year. But in the meantime, these ARM-based Windows 10 machines are the best products of their kind.
