Windows 8 may have an edge over Android on tablets, ARM CEO says
Warren East speaking during Tuesday's earnings conference call. — In the wake of a solid earnings report, ARM's CEO Warren East said Microsoft may have some potential advantages over Android in the tablet market.
Context & Ripple Effects
Warren East's comment lands in the middle of a quiet realignment among ARM's own customers. Back in October 2011, Dell said it was gearing up Windows 8 devices because Android had disappointed on tablets — an OEM signal that the Android tablet pitch wasn't selling through. Now the chip architect whose cores would power ARM-based Windows 8 hardware is publicly agreeing that Microsoft may hold the edge.
The remarks came on ARM's earnings call after a solid quarter, and they matter because ARM is not a neutral observer: its licensing business stands to gain either way, but a successful Windows-on-ARM would open an entirely new royalty stream beyond phones and embedded devices. The pickup by PC Magazine and CNET's own Between the Lines blog shows the comment resonated well beyond the investor call.
First-order effects
- ARM positions itself as the silicon partner for whichever tablet OS wins, telling licensees and OEMs that Windows 8 is a first-class path alongside Android — significant coming from the company whose cores underpin most Android tablets.
Second-order effects
- OEMs already skeptical of Android tablets, like Dell, get cover to prioritize Windows 8 roadmaps, while Android-tablet makers face pressure to justify why their devices beat a Windows alternative shipping on the same ARM silicon.
Third-order effects
- If Windows 8 ships credibly on ARM chips, the Wintel pairing that defined the PC industry loosens: Microsoft gains a second processor ecosystem, ARM gains entry to the PC market, and tablets become a three-way OS contest rather than an iPad-versus-Android race.
The trend: The tablet market is heading from a two-horse iOS-Android race toward a three-way contest, with Microsoft's ARM-friendly Windows 8 giving chipmakers and OEMs a second platform to hedge with.