Some more rumors of Windows 10 Mobile SKU for ARM and ATOM

Mary Jo's sources are continue to speak of the Mobile (desktopless) SKU coming for not just ARM but for ATOM SSTs as well...

http://www.zdnet.com/whats-next-for-windows-10-7000036358/

She refers back to the original source last June:
http://www.zdnet.com/windows-thresh...-plan-to-win-over-windows-7-users-7000031070/

And then the slide from TechEd Europe:
http://www.zdnet.com/microsofts-fit...-software-and-services-are-inside-7000035344/

I know y'all have thought me crazy for suggesting it but at least I'm not the only one.

It also takes away the ARM vs. ATOM debate moving forward putting both in the Companion Device Category, which is good for the industry but not necessarily good for the Tablet PC purists.

I'm hopeful that with Office Gemini (again rumored Touch First Office) it will be a good experience on any SST or Phone.

 

Is this a strategy for taking on Google, Chromebooks and Android?

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk 4

 

I think overall it is a strategy to get the NSAT Scores higher on Windows SSTs, if you look at the reviews of the new crop of ATOM SSTs (Stream 7 and the rest of the 7-8" Tablets) they reviewers all say that to use them in the MUI Only, that the desktop is unusable. Outside of this and similar forums you get the same opinion from most users. With the unification of Phone, SST, LST, Xbox and Trad Form Factors, MUI Apps can reach critical mass through Universal Apps (MUI 2.0). Office Touch will bring an improved Office Experience for Windows SSTs (with rumored exclusive features). I can wait to run Windows 10 on my Lumia 1520 with Office Touch with Miracast it becomes a potent companion device for my SP3.

 

Eh, I'm obviously not surprised by this at all. The writing on this has been on the wall for months.

However, I still think this is a terrible idea. I've said it many times and probably sound like a broken record, but ripping out functionality isn't the answer. I fully understand hiding the desktop and making it something that a user doesn't see unless they explicitly want to, but it's crazy how many people are eager to have that ripped out entirely from ARM and small tablets... and this is coming from someone who 99% of the time prefers Metro.

There's no reason to remove it entirely, even if it IS only a small minority like us who want to keep the desktop. The real solution would have been to make it truly optional. Hell, give the smaller tablets Continuum for all I care, that's a far better solution than pulling out support (and I don't even personally think Continuum is what I'm looking for on my Surface Pro, based on the rumors). Even if people don't want to use the desktop on a 7" device other than on a forum like this, I'm sure everyone (everyone but the hardware manufacturers, probably ) would be able to see how compelling it would be to dock that 7" device to a keyboard, mouse, and monitor and see the desktop, with WinRT apps running on the desktop alongside legacy Win32 apps (on the x86 devices only, of course).

If it proved anything at all, didn't Windows 8 prove that the only real way to make everyone happy is choice?

 

The way I understood it is that allowing the OS to run x86 software, you expose the system to many more threats. So if people don't need the desktop, it might be safer to disable x86 altogether. Not sure if that's the logic, or if it's even true.

 

Arm already gave them that option. So I vote false.

I see atom devices as for people who want an Surface Pro style device, but don't need the horse power. ARM is for the 'safe' crowd.

The OEMs pretty much abandoned RT, but have been making plenty of atom devices. Maybe MS was successful selling RT, but I don't think the OEMs were.

 

That is true in the 10+" ATOM Tablets, but SSTs it way too difficult for most mere mortals. OEMs are taking it in the shorts with SSTs (they are being kept a float by $0 Licensing from Microsoft and SPIFs from Intel). I could see Microsoft offering $100+ Upgrade to the Pro SKU on x86 ATOM SSTs to allow for legacy support.

Here is my prediction for ARM and ATOM SSTs - Windows 10 Mobile ($0 Licensing for OS) includes Office Touch (Again Free), price points $40-$400 (Phones through 9" SSTs). On x86 there will be the option for Anytime Upgrades for $100+ but only on the 2GB/32GB or higher devices, this would also open up Office 2015 or Office 365 to be installed (not free). I also predict that on most (if not all) lower end devices the only expansion will OTG, Micro-SD and Miracast.

 

Hmm. If only Microsoft would make a MUI version of Windows Live Writer, then I'd happily give up the Desktop on my ThinkPad 10 once Gemini arrives. But I think the chances are slim to non-existent...

 

Assuming though that you no longer need the desktop, would you be bothered by its presence? I personally wouldnt have much need for a desktopless windows tablet.

It is fine to have an SKU like RT without one (although as jhoff80 would say there are still reasons to keep it), but I don't see why Atom should be lumped in to that.

My feeling is that jnjroach's prediction is accurate. I just don't agree with it as a good idea. Maybe MS doesn't like giving away the desktop for free?

 

Or perhaps, those who want the desktop should be willing to pay extra for it....in today's computing landscape the desktop has become the realm of professionals and typically professionals are willing to pay for their tools...