Qualcomm triples Windows on Arm OEM design wins since May Qualcomm is flexing its Arm muscle in the x86 market, highlighting the push into the Windows laptop market during its Q4 2024 earnings call. Head honcho and CEO Cristiano R Amon revealed the chipmaker had racked up 58 design wins for the Snapdragon X Plus eight-core platform, a leap nearly tripling the 20 designs it had back …
All the software that I use on a non-gaming PC works on my Snapdragon X Plus based Surface Pro 11 with no issues at all. Don't know how the previous generations performed, but the current one is pretty much indistinguishable from x86 PCs. At least for general "office" use, browsing, media consumption etc. And the one time I was lazy and used Shotcut to edit a video on that thing, the exporting speed was pretty much the same as on my big i9 desktop. Intel & AMD have a reason to be scared.
Surely, Qualcomm, with its $39 billion yearly revenue ($10 billion profit) should be able to properly pay for its ARM license (especially when noting that ARM is 1/10ᵗʰ that size, with yearly revenues of $3.8-4.1 billion).
"users know that x86 just works, especially on Microsoft Window's ecosystem."
Hmmmm. Users may well be wary of something that may, or may not, introduce additional difficulties, but I doubt many long-time users except Windows to "just work". Those long-suffering individuals may have hopes that it will work, but nearly all of them harbour a fatalistic acknowledgement that it might not. But Windows on x86 is what they know, and there will be a reluctance to introduce further uncertainty.
All I care that they'll be able to power up this new AI Notepad.
Can you imagine starting writing a note like:
"Dear diary, today I decided to become a millionaire and here are my steps to achieve it within the next 6 months:"
then just sit back and watch how Notepad lists all the steps.
"users know that x86 just works, especially on Microsoft Window's ecosystem."
Are you sure about that? I suspect most users don't even know what x86 is. I'd actually go even further and say that most users don't know that AMD exists, they just know Intel inside (and the annoying bingerly bong that went with it). Most users don't care if the process is ARM or x86, the fact its from by AMD, Intel, Qualcomm or whoever is even less of a thought. For most users the computer is Windows, Mac, or Chrome, the version doesn't matter its a Windows, Mac, or Chrome computer and its used for emails, spreadsheets, and a browser.
If someone outside of the IT and Gaming group of people i.e. most users, cares about their computer at all its because some advert said this was the latest shiney thing and they must have it be it Windows, Mac, or Chrome, especially if they are not the ones paying for it. For everyone else if they buy a new computer it will probably come down to cost because the one they had has broken or they have new people to give it to.
So, all that said if they can be made cheap enough, and available enough, they will sell. For most users the fact its got a slightly different version of Windows on it and you might need to buy updated versions of some things you use is just what happens when you get a new computer. The only computer advert I've seen in the last 6 months has been for a Snapdragon one, I cant remember if it was a generic gat a Snapdragon computer or from a specific company, but its being advertised so people will ask for them.
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