Just when the Windows 8 news started to dry up, Intel Software chief Renee James speaking to Bloomberg’s Dina Bass has provided us details to what Microsoft is planning. Quite a while back I had speculated that the two interfaces strategy Microsoft is planning, is a tablet play and keeps the desktop and tablet aligned, yet different.
Renee James has confirmed the following:
Microsoft planning multiple versions of next Windows OS
there will be a Windows 8 version optimized for tablet/mobile that will come in x86 and ARM versions.
there are 4 versions of Windows 8 for ARM chips. ARM Windows won’t run legacy apps but x86 will
The strategy ensures that all versions of Windows 8 have a different USP. Point 2 and 3 point that, Windows 8 ARM will be optimized for tablets but won’t be able to run legacy apps, at the same time there will be a x86 version that will be able to run them. My second speculation was that enterprise is one of the reasons why Microsoft wants to have Windows on tablets, for legacy support.
With this strategy, Microsoft has the enterprise and consumer market covered with Windows 8. Master stroke, Microsoft.
Source: @dinabass
