Microsoft Explains Windows On ARM Or Simply WOA

Posted on Feb 10 2012 - 4:40am by Editorial Staff

Since the time Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer made an announcement during CES, there has been lot of things speculated all around saying how the software giant would be bringing back Windows to the ARM architecture – would it be a complete different setup? Would it be a whole separate line? Or what else it will consists of?

Microsoft earlier in its blog post saw dodging the question of desktop apps on ARM-based Window 8 systems. A week earlier ARM CEO Warren East put his takes over Windows 8 versus Android Tablets stating, “ARM processors power the numbers of tablets and smartphones sold globally.  And for the first time with Windows 8, a mainstream Windows operating system will run on both ARM and Intel chips. The point that strikes here is that as per East – Microsoft could possibly have “branding advantages” with ARM-based tablets.”

Ending the speculations to at-par many of these questions have been answered in a technical blog posted by the software giant on the Building Windows 8, as Steven Sinofsky explains, identifies the facts and figures stating how they developed Windows on ARM architecture or WOA

The blog starts by explaining WOA is a new member of the Windows family, much like Windows Server, Windows Embedded, or Windows Phone. As with those products, WOA builds on the foundation of Windows, has a very high degree of commonality and very significant shared code with Windows 8, and will be developed for, sold, and supported as part of the largest computing ecosystem in the world.

Windows 8 innovations on powerful and richly capable x86/64 processors, and work on new low-power processors such as those that Intel demonstrated at CES, require an equally strong commitment, even larger engineering investment, robust new designs, and improved architecture for Windows across these platforms.

Using WOA “out of the box” will feel just like using Windows 8 on x86/64. You will sign in the same way. You will start and launch apps the same way. You will use the new Windows Store the same way. You will have access to the intrinsic capabilities of Windows, from the new Start screen and Metro style apps and Internet Explorer, to peripherals, and if you wish, the Windows desktop with tools like Windows File Explorer and desktop Internet Explorer. It will have the same fast and fluid experience.

Key Summary:

  • Windows on ARM, or WOA, is a new member of the Windows family that builds on the foundation of Windows
  • WOA PCs are still under development and our collective goal is for PC makers to ship them the same time as PCs designed for Windows 8 on x86/64
  • Metro style apps in the Windows Store can support both WOA and Windows 8 on x86/64
  • WOA can support all new Metro style apps, including apps from Microsoft for mail, calendaring, contacts, photos, and storage. WOA also includes industry-leading support for hardware-accelerated HTML5 with Internet Explorer 10
  • WOA includes desktop versions of the new Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote
  • With WOA you can look forward to integrated, end-to-end products—hardware, firmware and WOA software, all built from the ground up
  • Around the next milestone release of Windows 8 on x86/64, a limited number of test PCs will be made available to developers and hardware partners in a closed, invitation-only program
  • The Windows Consumer Preview, the beta of Windows 8 on x86/64, will be available for download by the end of February

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Editorial Staff at I2Mag is a team of subject experts.