Lap-slabtop-mobes with Snapdragon Arm CPUs running Windows 10: We had a quick gander Qualcomm, Microsoft, Asus, HP Inc and Lenovo today talked up their upcoming Arm-compatible, Snapdragon-powered three-in-one Windows 10 PCs. "Three in one" because they combine a laptop, a tablet, and smartphone-like connectivity in one. The laptop is the base unit. It's also a tablet because the display is a touchscreen and, …
Is it just me that really doesn't see much to get excited about here.
It's a variation of a laptop / transformer 2 in 1 type thing that's been around for ages. It got a sim slot which lots of things used to have for a while then they went away becasue everyone was tethering and now it's back and that's a big thing, apparently.
And it's using a different processor than usual but then who really gives a toss as long as it works ok.
So it's got kindof meh features, kindof meh big/small and it's meh powerful for a kindof meh price.
People who want cheap things will still buy a clunky underspecced celeron laptop and then complaint about it. People who want faster things will buy a surface 4 and then complain about it. People who like shiny things will buy a macbook of some variety and then curse internally.
Meh.
These companies seem to become more desperate in attempting to keep Windows Mobile relevant in the age of Android and Apple iOS, and soon resurgent Linux Mobile OS.
Whether they will succeed, even minimally is anyone's guess, but I would not put my money or trust in Microsoft OS software.
All the Ransomeware, Viruses, Trojans and Worms belong to Microsoft OS. Do governments and countries really want to continue down this path of Cyber destruction?
My A420/1 emulated a 386 well enough to be competitive. Flew on StrongARM Risc PC
If we are looking at alternative os I would pay **sausages** for one with RISC OS
Some features of which are yet to be matched by both (ex) windows or my current linux boxes.
make an !Impression, use !Artworks, !Squirrel away your data
still waiting for a native box in 2017
My A420/1 emulated a 386 well enough to be competitive. Flew on StrongARM Risc PC
IIRC, the software emulator on early RiscOS actually emulated an 80186. It was perfectly fine for DOS programs, but Windows was a bit of a stretch, though that was partly because my A310 started life with a single floppy disc and 1MB RAM, so it was a bit of a squeeze even finding 640k for DOS. After the 4MB upgrade it was easier.
When I bought a RiscPC (initially with a 600-series ARM) I also bought the second processor option, which was a '386SX. Coupled with a hard drive, 4M main memory and 2M VRAM this actually made a very usable Windows 3.1 box, but there was no real emulation involved as DOS was running natively on the '386SX and the ARM was merely doing I/O duties.
That RiscPC - minus the '386 but now with 80MB main memory (luxury!) is actually still in daily use, I still prefer Impression for document creation but mostly it's used for email.
M.
We all know that Microsoft are very desperate indeed to get into mobile after so many failed attempts, but I can't see this changing anything.
For a start, $600-$800 for a netbook is way too much, it's not worth even half that price. Rather than a selling point, always on mobile data is a terrible idea especially knowing how much data Microsoft like to slurp from their users - this could get very expensive very quickly. Add in the very limited hardware that slows down to almost half speed while running emulated x86 code, and their crippled Windows 10S OS that's tied to their failure of an app store, and this is almost a guaranteed loser.
Then when these overpriced, crippled netbooks fail like all Microsoft's previous attempts, they will inevitably discontinue it and demonstrate (once again) that they cannot be trusted to stick around and support their own products regardless of whether it leaves their customers screwed.
ARM in netbooks, laptops and desktops is a good idea that has it's place, I just don't believe that Microsoft will benefit from it as they don't seem to have any clue what people want.
I recently bought a refurbished Asus Chromebook Flip C100PA (recently replaced by the C101PA - faster processor, USB-C ports and noticeably-inflated price tag), and so far I'm finding it a great little machine.
The reviews of the Flip frequently comment along the lines of "ooh, it's a bit small, isn't it" - well, I don't want to lug a paving-slab around with me, and as a previous owner of two Psions (3c and 5mx) and an Eee 701SD, I find the Flip positively spacious by comparison. I also like the performance, and the all-aluminium-apart-from-the-glass-screen construction makes it feel to me like a mini-MacBook at a quarter of the price.
Why raise this here? The Flip runs Chrome OS (the "philosophy" of which, Windows 10 S appears to share), and it packs an ARM CPU like these new machines. Granted, the Flip doesn't take a SIM card, but then the latest model costs about half of the price-tags quoted for these Snapdragon slabs.
These new machines won't suit every user - then again, neither will a Chromebook - but it's interesting to see a rise in the number of ARM-based laptops, and good to have more choice out there.
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