Americans adore me, and will go on adoring me, until I say something nice about them - GBS
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Microsoft pens ARM architecture deal
ADDING FUEL to rumours that Microsoft will actually design its own computing devices, the company has announced it has signed a licensing deal with ARM, the CPU deity of all things mobile and embedded.
This deal expands on the original one in that it "gives Microsoft access to the microbarchitecture and instruction set of the ARM architecture", said Ian Drew, EVP of marketing at ARM.
Microsoft, which was already an ARM partner, will have access to everything it will need to design platforms rather than just the OS. In so far as operating systems are concerned, that was covered by a previous agreement, which enabled Microsoft to basically design systems-on-chips (SoCs) based on ARM and not just the software.
"It is a much broader architectural license, similar to the likes of Qualcomm and Marvell," added Mr Drew. Qualcomm and Marvell design SoCs and full-blown systems that any vendor can build on or simply rebrand, a world apart from what Microsoft does in its labs right now. Put the Vole in the same bag as the others and things might just start to happen. When asked whether Microsoft could design its own devices based on the license, the reply nipped us in the bud. "We can't speculate on what Microsoft is going to do", replied the ARM executive, due to the confidential nature of the agreement.
The opportunity for Microsoft to design its own SoCs for mobile and embedded computing has not gone unnoticed. After the Kin flop, Microsoft might be looking at doing its kit in-house rather than relying on partners like Sharp to do the work for it. On the other hand, if Microsoft thinks Kin failed because of the way the handset was designed, then we'll beg to differ, creepy ads'n'all. Considering Microsoft is seen as being struck by Iphone and Ipad-envy, access to the ARM microarchitecture might give the monolith more drive to branch out its consumer electronics division into just about any area of computing, mobile or otherwise.
On the other hand, and contrary to popular belief, porting the desktop version of Windows to ARM is a separate matter entirely and we don't see why Microsoft would need to sign another agreement to get that done. µ
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"Have you seen the online shop for software for Windows Phones? It's pretty crap, usable, but a bit lame.
Windows 6.x is also pretty dumb. Names and other text is tiny when you consider what the device is for."
The best part of Windows 6.x is that you don't have to go to a specific shop to get software for it - Unlike Apple. It's not a closed device. Is Android better? yes, but it wasn't around when I got my HTC Tilt 2.
My HTC rocks, and I have no issues with reading the text, since I can zoom at will with it. My next will be Android, but it will unquestioningly be an HTC phone.
I've yet to see an Apple product I would even consider owning because of A) the closed nature of their systems and B) the ludicrous prices for the hardware.
Microsoft for sure will pass the secrets of ARM architecture to Intel. Intel want to improve its weak Atom, but not want to contact directly ARM for a licence because consider that action a shame. We know that always Microsoft was the bitch of Intel.
appears to be a word that you have newly made up, and we might need it for something else, such as training bacteria - or coral - to build things for us. Depending whether you want your mid 21st century new house to be made of, well, coral, or of chalk.
lemme make a revelation and dedicate it to INQ. Lets join all the dots.. Windows 8, Singularity, ARM, MS's new logos for Windows, WinMo, bing, xbox, office. they are all closed loops. Windows-8, 8 is also a closed loop. Where does all this point to... INFINITY ... where comes infinity come from ARM and SINGULARITY. after Xp, Vista, Seven ... Windows 8 might also be named WINDOWS-INFINITY with 8 laying horizontally forming infinity sign. Windows-8 might be first run anywhere OS or should i say hardware-independent OS. Specially since WinMo-7 is a flop (it was just a interface patent capturing stunt), the interface is too low IQish like for STUDENTs not corporates. i want to get lost in menus and options and tweaks, i want to talk to underlying metal, love AMD's CTM Close To Metal. thats what coprate and real fun lies. feel of being close to metal. Its also bad of MS to worship and drag too much facebook inside. like there is pharoh of every era, there is mIRC of every say half decade, MIRC, then ICQ, then ORKUT, then MSN, then mySpace then FaceBook. they are all mIRCs... MS you should tarnish your image aligning your ideology with this crap. Return to you WinMo-6 style where user could bask in there shade not knowing how deep and broad this shade is for comfort level that somewhere deep down there will be options/addon option that will make my job done latter of not sooner. not like i circle between just xbox, facebook, zune toys. So Windows 8, Singularity, ARM, MS's new logos for Windows, WinMo, bing, xbox, office is possibly a hint to wards abandoning of WinMo7 ideology and Windows-8-Desktop as ARM compatible linking all the dots to form Windows-8-INFINITY.
Have you seen the online shop for software for Windows Phones? It's pretty crap, usable, but a bit lame.
Windows 6.x is also pretty dumb. Names and other text is tiny when you consider what the device is for.
When a caller rings me I want their name to take up more than 4% of the screen area. Why not have it take up 30% or 50%?
HTC have made a half-hearted attempt to rectify this with their image for a contact, but am I really expected to have 1,000 photos for everyone in my phonebook? And should I take a photo of store so I can put the photo of the store into that contact?
Why not just make the incoming call text LARGER?
Voice control - where is this already? "Phone, contacts, John Johnson, mobile, send text message. Dear John..."
I test drove the new Jaguar XJ the other day. It's a beautiful car, but leaving that aside and sticking with tech I was impressed that it could blutooth to an Iphone 3gs cleverly.
It let me select the iphone on it's touchscreen, and then it played live online radio through the phone's internet connection.
Which was cool.
Jaguar also has Dual-View, so the front passenger sees the TV while the driver can see Nav or Audio controls etc. As you move your head from one side of the car to the other you can see the image change.
The screen can also be standard single image view.
So some new tech is making it into cars, finally!