Windows Roadmap

Windows 8 will add support for x86-based and ARM-based system on a chip (SoC) architectures, in addition to the already supported x86 and x64 processors. At the CES conference in Jan. 2011, Microsoft announced Windows 8 support for SoC, which should make Windows 8 a better OS for portable devices. A SoC combines many of the components of a computer, including the processor, memory, controllers, and I/O ports, into a single chip, which should offer sufficient processing power to run Windows 8 and applications such as Office while utilizing less power and producing less heat, which are key requirements for portable devices.

Microsoft has ported Windows to other processor architectures, most recently the Intel Itanium processor, but Windows Server 2008 R2 will be the last version of Windows to support the Itanium processor (other than service packs) due to a lack of adoption.

Windows Embedded Compact (CE) and Windows Phone 7, which are already used for portable devices, could evolve to support tablets, but Microsoft’s tablet strategy continues to focus on the main Windows client, currently Windows 7.