Microsoft is working to bring its ARM port of Windows 8 out at the same time as the x86 processor version. When the ARM version is released, it will likely be inside some thin and light laptops that will have a quad-core processor made by Qualcomm.
PCWorld.com reports that the company hopes to have the quad-core version of its Snapdragon S4 processor in Windows 8 laptops that will be both thinner and lighter than notebooks based on Intel"s Ultrabook design. The article didn"t state which PC laptop makers would offer notebooks with Qualcomm"s upcoming processor inside.
Qualcomm is also reportedly working on adding 64-bit support to a future version of the Snapdragon processor but the company"s senior vice president Rob Chandhok would not comment on a timeframe for that chip to be released.
In related news, PCWorld.com also interviewed Intel product manager Anand Kajshmanan about the future of Ultrabook-based laptops. He stated that Intel is pushing for hardware makers to embrace touch screens for future Ultrabooks and for Windows 8 support, saying:
We fundamentally believe in the concept of touch, and touch on a clamshell. We believe it"s going to take off in 2012 or at least 2013, especially with Windows 8. It really feels like now is the right time, now that the hardware and software are working really well together. We"re strongly encouraging our partners to incorporate touch on the Ultrabooks.