Intel has stated that its Clover Trail chips will not support Linux and that the chip is for Windows 8. While the processor is in the x86 family which means that it can technically run Linux, Intel will not be supporting that use case which will likely turn off nearly all vendors from using the chip in anything other than a Windows environment.
Intel has stated that the Clover Trail is a "Windows 8 Chip" and that it "cannot run Linux", as stated by The Inquirer. The company states that they will not be supporting Linux on the chip and that Windows 8 will be the driving force for sales of the chip. The crux of their decision was around Linux not supporting the same system calls as Windows related to P-states and C-states that can shut down cores on the processor in order to save battery. In short, if you use the processor with Linux, battery life will be poor when compared to the Windows alternative.
The move is a bold endeavor for Intel as it is putting its weight behind Windows 8 by only officially supporting the Windows platform. Seeing as the company has other processors that support the Linux platform, this is hardly a snub at the OS, but certainly doesn't bode well for the relationship between the chip maker and the OS.
Source: The Inquirer
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