Qualcomm Details Plans for Windows 10 PCs with Snapdragon 835 Chips

Megalith

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Initial efforts to bring ARM to the PC were disastrous, but Microsoft and Qualcomm is trying again with “cellular PCs,” which will essentially be Windows 10 computers powered by Snapdragon 835 chips. This should be a far more legitimate and successful undertaking, as these devices can run any and all Windows programs—not just “Store” apps, a limitation that killed RT. I am curious to see how they do with battery life.

Late last year, Microsoft and Qualcomm introduced the concept of cellular PCs, which are thin-and-light laptops with LTE connectivity. The Snapdragon 835 will be installed in those PCs. The chip offers the latest technologies like Bluetooth 5 and a gigabit modem. The devices are being made with smartphones as models. The devices will have long battery life and remain always connected to the Internet. The first Windows 10 PCs with Snapdragon 835 will come later this year. The cellular PCs will be priced at a “sweet spot,” Kressin said. They won’t be extremely low-cost, but they also won’t be too expensive, he said.
 
i don't really get this.
This is for like tablet pcs that can run windows, but are too light weight on horsepower to do anything intensive.
So it's competition to the atom tablets.
 
I don't normally get into the bitchfest that is broadband data caps......but a dumb terminal over cellular? Have we not seen enough $10,000 Verizon bill stories? Here's a forced 8GB Windows patch for your cellular bill.
 
I don't normally get into the bitchfest that is broadband data caps......but a dumb terminal over cellular? Have we not seen enough $10,000 Verizon bill stories? Here's a forced 8GB Windows patch for your cellular bill.
That's more of a reason to not buying verizon (even though they have a unlimited plan now) and nothing about the idea or concept.
 
Run 'all' Windows programs.

We're talking about Windows programs that have been released for the ARM architecture, correct? This thing isn't going to attempt to emulate x86?
 
Run 'all' Windows programs.

We're talking about Windows programs that have been released for the ARM architecture, correct? This thing isn't going to attempt to emulate x86?
Actually yes, its going to emulate x86 software
 
Actually, that's exactly what they plan to do. They demonstrated their x86->ARM translation layer a while back (what's in the video).
 
I don't normally get into the bitchfest that is broadband data caps......but a dumb terminal over cellular? Have we not seen enough $10,000 Verizon bill stories? Here's a forced 8GB Windows patch for your cellular bill.

Normal Win 10 includes a "Don't update over metered connection" setting. Would assume this would include a similar setting. If not, someone involved is an idiot.
 
i don't really get this.
This is for like tablet pcs that can run windows, but are too light weight on horsepower to do anything intensive.
So it's competition to the atom tablets.

Atom is essentially dead for consumers, and despite Intel's efforts were horrible battery wise. I'm pretty sure there will be a battery penalty for running in x86 mode but if it's just like RT was it will be really great battery life.
 
Normal Win 10 includes a "Don't update over metered connection" setting. Would assume this would include a similar setting. If not, someone involved is an idiot.

You are probably right about that option. And I could see this being closer to Google Chrome and Windows RT in over all functionality. Chrome has managed to work within cellular limitations. Although they call this real Windows, I am still skeptical about the x86 compatibility. Intel may let emulators slide at the small scale, but someone else moving in on the Windows market (by far the largest platform) and Intel will flex their legal muscles like they have in the past.
 
Emulating bloated x86 Windows on a peashooter mobile chip - even if the most powerful mobile chip - is another exercise in futility; more trying to hammer the Windows square peg into the mobile round hole and it will go nowhere.

Microsoft has two choices: Either develop a Surface OS from the ground up - a mobile and touch focused OS that not only innovates but does away with all the Windows branding and ugly fischer-price tiles that consumers rejected in Windows Phone 7, 8, 10 - or they can give up. But half measures, emulators, app converters, containers or Universal platform gimmicks will never gain any traction against entrenched leaders.
 
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IF Microsoft were to release this as the successor to the Surface 3 along side the Pro 5's I could easily grab a few of them. The office admins here love the surfaces and a few have 3's, and a few others the 4's and those have been going great. The majority of our staff though are using some older Dell Vostro's and are asking for an upgrade, mostly because the Vostro's are falling apart. And yeah before anybody gives me shit for issuing Vostro's it was a budgetary decision made by accounting, either way after 4 years they are falling apart and while they still preform well enough for their usages. The general staff though are all envious of the surface pro's, so being able to give them something similar while being at hopefully half the price would make it an easy sell for me.
 
well... im just not impressed. So they can emulate to run x86 programs.... i would rather run an OS and apps designed for the hardware im using. Its like buying a car, and putting a trailer hitch on it, sure it haul light loads, but you're not going to do any real work with it, might as well get a truck.
 
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