MS Strategy
From the article:
This is something Microsoft largely failed to accomplish with Windows RT**, its first foray into Windows on ARM*.
And fail they did, largely due to the lack of an imagination. Before then MS had shown at some trade show Windows 7, full fat, plus Office recompiled for ARM running on a dev board, working just fine (if a little slow). They also reportedly bought an ARM license. The expectation was that they'd do what Apple are now rumoured to be doing. Had MS decided to go for it back then, either assemble the silicon dev team or partnered with someone who'd already got one (Qualcomm?), they could easily by now have gone for it.
I know, I know, Wintel etc. It would have severely disappointed Intel, and that might have had consequences for MS. However, lets consider Intel. They could have licensed ARM ages ago, again, or still, depending, and could now have a healthy Intel SuperARM line as well as a honking great x64 server line. They might even have a presence in mobile devices had they done that. Instead, they've left the field wide open to Apple, Samsung and Qualcomm. Even AMD are dabbling with ARM.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
