Oldfeller--FSO
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<Ding!!!>
That's the bell that starts Round 3 of Win 10 on ARM DEATHFIGHT
It is a really odd full contact kick boxing match with opponents sitting in 3 corners, with all three coming out of their corners then making up a pair at times and pounding on the third, but not always the same ones pair up, it changes during each round several times.
When we reached out to Qualcomm for comment, a Qualcomm spokesperson responded with the following:
“Given our recent announcement with ASUS, HP and Lenovo, we found the blog that one of our competitors published on June 8 very interesting. We look forward to the launch of the always connected Windows 10 PC powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Mobile PC Platform later this year. As showcased at Computex 2017 in conjunction with Microsoft, the Snapdragon 835 Mobile PC Platform brings a true always connected PC experience with support for up to Gigabit LTE connectivity and all-day battery life for sleek, thin and fanless designs. This will change the future of personal computing.”
In similar fashion, a Microsoft spokesperson offered a statement in addition to the link to the video above:
“There are users who need to be connected to the cloud at all times, leveraging the latest network technology like gigabit LTE and eSIM. Microsoft is collaborating with its ecosystem on a shared vision that starts with a close partnership at the silicon layer, with Intel and Qualcomm, and with its mobile operator partners to provide seamless eSim connectivity. Microsoft device partners including ASUS, HP, Huawei, Lenovo, VAIO, and Xiaomi, are committed to this new category of Always Connected PCs using eSim technology.
In addition, Always Connected devices will be coming from ASUS, HP, and Lenovo, on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset. These new devices will feature Windows 10, with always-on LTE connectivity and great battery life.”
Intel’s response was as guarded as its blog entry. From an Intel spokesperson:
“Intel respects intellectual property rights and we expect others to do the same. x86 technology is both proprietary and central to our business, and we’re concerned any time it appears that others may be copying it inappropriately. We will thoroughly evaluate any products that claim to emulate x86 technology, and vigorously enforce our intellectual property rights if we believe they are infringed.”
Analysis & Conclusion
This is a very fine dance these three appear to be performing. And at the same time, given that rumors were floating as early as November last year – weeks before announced at WinHEC – it seems odd that Intel was not aware of this prior to Computex, whether they would admit it publicly or not. At the same time, history (such as with the Transmeta Crusoe and WoW64) shows that there’s not much from a legal perspective to challenge it. But the moment that anyone drops the words “x86 emulation,” such as what Microsoft and Qualcomm had been doing up until Computex, it’s only a matter of time before enough concerned voices and shareholders demand Intel respond to it.
Will it change the project that Microsoft and Qualcomm are working on? I reached out to Anshel Sag, Associate Analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy for his thoughts on this. (Contributor note: Mr. Sag, as an industry analyst, was also very instrumental in reaching the right persons for timely responses by Intel, Microsoft and Qualcomm.) His response:
“Judging by the response I have seen from Qualcomm, it doesn’t seem that they are in the slightest worried about the comments from Intel. Microsoft, naturally, hasn’t said anything because of their close relationship with Intel which I believe this is straining somewhat. I believe competition is always good for the market and I believe that Microsoft believes this as well.”
A successful launch of Windows 10 ARM poses a risk to Intel at a time where it is facing increased competition elsewhere in its business segments. As we have covered also from Computex AMD is about to ramp up and launch its Epyc server processors based on the Zen architecture. Its consumer lineup, Ryzen, is also going to continue the competition by expanding into both the high end enthusiast desktop and mobile segments. ARM64 competition, such as Qualcomm, would certainly challenge its embedded, Atom and Core M segments.
At the same time that they highlighted the “Always Connected” devices we saw Microsoft highlight its efforts to further Mixed Reality and Augmented Reality devices, such as their own HoloLens. I’m not convinced that either Microsoft nor the ARM semiconductor manufacturers, such as Microsoft, are going to stop here. NVIDIA, for example, is sitting fairly well now on its Tegra portfolio between the self-driving car initiative and deal with Nintendo powering the Switch. Though an inquiry to NVIDIA didn’t suggest anything is on the horizon, I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see NVIDIA consider a re-entry either. It easily could offer a Tegra X1 or X2 based device – and it certainly can offer graphics power to drive a head mounted display.
Asking Mr. Sag on this topic as well suggests we’re not alone:
“I absolutely believe that this could extend beyond “Always Connected” PCs that were announced at Computex. We’ve already seen Microsoft’s smartphones with Windows 10 embrace ARM, which I believe was the groundwork for this development in PCs. I also believe that as the applications and ecosystem grow we could see AR/MR/VR headsets with ARM processors run Windows, which I believe is part of Microsoft’s long-term strategy to dominate the AR/MR/VR market. I do not believe that Hololens is going to be the only standalone headset for Windows Mixed Reality and I believe that we will see headsets with ARM inside.”
I’ve said it time and time again though – 2017 is quickly becoming the year of increased competition in the PC market. And given that there has been so little of it in many of these segments, it’s unfortunate that Intel will bear the brunt of this due to their past successes. But what is Intel’s lost will most certainly be the gain of others, most importantly the consumer. And that’s always a good thing.
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