Microsoft and Qualcomm aim to make good on 'Windows on ARM' with slew of 'Always Connected PCs'

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

The pipe dream for personal computing has been Windows PCs running on super efficient processors that can enable devices to last for days, not just hours. We've had the original Surface RT devices, which were unable to run Win32 apps. There have also been various tablet-first 2-in-1 devices running on ARM procesors but they never delivered on the promise of longer battery life or acceptable performance. This is about to change in a big way.

Microsoft and Qualcomm kicked off these new generation 'Always On' PC's during Qualcomm's Tech Summit in Hawaii today. Designed to last for up to 20 hours on a battery charge and featuring Windows 10 S (upgradeable, of course, to Windows 10 Pro), devices like HP's Envy X2 and ASUS' Novago are expected to be the hot new ultraportable segment in mobile computing.

Windows 10 on ARM and Always Connected PCs boast these main differentian features:

• Instant on — Like your smartphone, Always Connected PCs don't hibernate; instead, they just turn on instantly even after hours of being on standby.
• Always connected — Again, like a smartphone, there is no need for either the Wi-Fi or LTE network to disconnect with Windows 10 on ARM; these PCs will get notifications, alerts, and pull data without ever disconnecting.
• Battery life — Smartphones already get all-day battery life, but an Always Connected PC is at least four times the size, meaning larger batteries to match the same hardware. so pushing a whole week of usage without recharging is attainable

A couple of things to note about the announcement. Microsoft seems to be stepping out on Intel, its forever partner in creating Windows devices. This partnership with Qualcomm is unprecedented and could propel Qualcomm to new heights beyond its success in smartphones. The new Always Connected PCs have more in common with smartphones than with traditional notebooks or laptops.

These 'Always Connected PCs' aren't slated for release until spring 2018, but I expecte a number of announcements at CES and beyond from other OEMs. I also expect Microsoft to launch their own reference product, a premium 'Courier' device that's sleeker than existing Surface devices.  (yet, likely just as pricey).

The big test, of course, is how applications we all use and love will perform on these SnapDragon-powered Windows 10 devices.