CPU/Mobo ARM vs INTEL vs AMD

[comp@ddict]

if windows has been ported (with all its libraries) then all native destkop application will work on ARM also , since native applications are run by windows a uses windows libraries . Problem will be with games which directly uses hardware for performance .

I dont think current windows games will work natively on the ARM platform(sans the new AOE I guess, since MS wants to really push gaming with Windows 8)

 

[Lord Nemesis]

if windows has been ported (with all its libraries) then all native destkop application will work on ARM also , since native applications are run by windows a uses windows libraries . Problem will be with games which directly uses hardware for performance .

Not possible and its not a question of porting libraries. The object code in native binaries is x86 instructions. To run it on ARM, you would first need to parse the code and generate ARM specific instructions on the fly. Basically you will need an Emulation layer which makes it inherently slow. Running ARM apps on x86 chips through emulation is alright as the CPU speeds make up for any drop in performance due to emulation, but running x86 on ARM is not such a good idea unless you are limiting to apps like Notepad. At the very least, you will need to recompile native apps to make them usable on ARM.

 

[MHG]

The trouble seems to stem from the fact that people either overrate or underrate ARM. Seriously.

Clearing some myths about ARM:

1. ARM is not god.
2. ARM cannot compete with x86 to run existing apps made for windows
3. Tablets have NOT killed netbooks, how can they when a 1.66GHz atom beats a 1GHz A8 hands down at 10k lesser price ?
4. x86 can NEVER replace ARM in power consumption
5. ARM consumes low power because of its RISC instruction set that does not keep a lot of things inside for compatibility
6. Tegra2 can power netbooks fine, as long as the right OS is used.

Microsoft is supporting ARM for Win8 to help add more direct compatibility between Windows Phone 7 and Windows 8. Expect a tablet like hybrid of Windows 8 and WP7 for ARM netbooks and tablets as well as Atom netbooks but serious desktop market will obviously only x86. Their ARM compatibility is just a tool (and a good tool I must add) to fight Ubuntu NBR, Android 3.x and iOS <currentversion>.

All that said, for embedded use ARM is an amazing architecture along with MIPS (which by the way is actually used in desktops in china). I've seen brilliant microcontrollers designed with ARM in them that power several different things. MIPS is also used in microcontrollers for example the PIC32 series. They are really cheap and fast too.