Windows 8 will come in two major varieties: a “traditional” version with legacy application support, and an ARM version that will not support legacy applications. The Windows 8 traditional version will have a “Windows 7” mode for backwards compatibility. The news comes from Intel’s Investor Meeting 2011, as reported by The Register.
Intel General Manager of Software and Services RenĂ©e James thinks this gives Intel an advantage. “Our competitors will not be running legacy applications. Not now. Not ever,” The Register reports her saying.
As expected, the ARM-based version of Windows will be focused on mobile devices such as tablets. However, according to James, the Intel x86 architecture will also be available in a variety of places, from mobile phones to TVs to servers. James says that Intel has a “unified architecture,” and she believes that gives the company an advantage.
What do you think – will Intel’s ability to run anywhere and support legacy applications be enough to stave off the competition?
We covered leaked and expected features of Windows 8 in a two part article.
Disclosure: Intel is a ReadWriteWeb sponsor
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