NVIDIA has put their support behind Microsoft's fledgling ARM-based edition of Windows, Windows RT, saying that the platform "is where things are going". NVIDIA vice president of computing products, Rene Haas, told Computerworld that NVIDIA is "very invested and very committed to Windows RT", also adding that it has a "bright future", despite numerous OEMs getting cold feet about producing ARM-based Windows devices.
Haas highlighted how Windows RT machines tend to have longer battery lives and smaller form factors than their fully-fledged Windows 8 brothers, and mentioned how Tegra 4 chipsets will feature in "multiple" upcoming Windows RT products. His comments are complemented by those of Qualcomm, another ARM chip manufacturer who is excited about the future of Windows RT.
When asked about Windows RT's lackluster market entrance - the platform accounted for just 0.4% of tablet shipments in Q1 2013 - Haas said "we're not discouraged by the start and very, very excited going forward." He goes on to say it's early days in a "very significant transition" for the PC market, and that in the future ARM will be the dominant force in tablets due to an energy efficient design.
Echoing the words of many other executives and analysts, to help improve sales of Windows RT and Windows 8 NVIDIA believes that Microsoft should continue to expand the app offerings available in the Windows Store. While the Store is seeing growth at the moment, "the faster that growth continues, the better for the overall platform", Haas said.
Despite NVIDIA's investment in Windows RT and belief that it will eventually be the dominant force in the tablet space, Intel is pushing hard with their line of x86-based chips that can run Windows 8 and 'legacy' apps. Haswell will bring significant graphics improvements and moderate power savings to the higher-end line of Intel-based machines, while Bay Trail will continue to see optimizations to reach the all-important 10-hour battery life mark.
Source: Computerworld
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