Re: hmm
"Microsoft trying to succeed outside x86 = a zebra trying to change its stripes."
Only if you think that Windows only comes in two flavours: PC Desktop and Server.
The reality is that Windows (disregarding RT), currently ships in at least four other versions: Win 6CE, Win EC 7 (EC = Embedded Compact), Win EC 8 and Win EC 8.1. Most of these additionally have minor versions along the lines of Standard, Pro and Server and between them have BSPs (Board Support Layers) for around 250 variants of ARM chip including vendors like TI, Atmel, Marvell, FreeScale and others. MIPS architecture is also still supported.
You may regard the RPi, "maker" market as tiny, but the Point of Sale, ATM, Interactive kiosk, Industrial monitoring, in car GPS, Security Scanner and so on markets are not. You might also imagine that Linux and RTOS's like QNX have a lock on these markets - but you would be wrong.
The hobbyist, schoolkid, Kickstarter end of the "intelligent gadget" market may be Linux/Python/Ruby/JSON dominated, but the professional end isn't. Win CE6 still ships because there are companies still selling designs (gas monitors come to mind) that hit the market 10 years ago and they won't even update the OS version without a shotgun to the head, let alone switch OS entirely.
The corollary to: "If it doesn't run Windows, it isn't a PC" I'm seeing here is: "If it doesn't run MS Office, it isn't Windows". Both propositions are equally wrong.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
