Windows Roadmap and ARM

Windows 8 will add support for x86-based and ARM-based systems on a chip (SoC) in addition to the already supported x86 and x64 processors. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Jan. 2011, Microsoft announced Windows 8 support for SoC, which should make Windows 8 a better OS for portable devices. An SoC combines many of the components of a computer, including the processor, memory, controllers, and input/output ports, into a single chip, which should offer sufficient processing power to run Windows 8 and applications such as Office. It uses less power and produces less heat, which are key requirements for portable devices.

Microsoft does not currently use either a code name or a product name for the next version of Windows, referring to it simply as “the next version of Windows.” Directions will use Windows 8 until there is a code name or a formal name for the release.

Although Microsoft has not indicated when it will release Windows 8, it is widely anticipated to be available within three years of the release of Windows 7 (approximately June 2012). The increased complexity of adding support and testing the SoC versions could potentially push this into 2013, particularly if there are significant architectural changes.