Laptop Thoughts: Windows 8: 'Always On, Always Connected' or Standard Windows

"Part of Microsoft's Windows 8 presentation involved showing the money - that it could run on ARM hardware so they demoed the upcoming finger-touch friendly OS on a couple of tablets and a standard laptop. The tablets sported either a Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8660 (1.2GHz, dual-core), Nvidia Tegra 3 (quad-core) or TI OMAP4430 (1GHz, dual-core, as on the BlackBerry Playbook) processors while the laptop ran Tegra 3."

We're seeing some exciting new technologies for Windows emerging - Windows tablets based on ARM processors, and traditional notebook form factor systems, also ARM powered. All are dual-mode, with what Microsoft is calling ", always on, always connected" and a more traditional Windows desktop with features from Windows Phone. Easy toggling between modes. These are really impressive feature videos, especially so early in the Windows 8 development cycle.

Here we have a clamshell system, non-touchscreen, running with an ARM processor, Kal-El Quad Core, running a real version of Microsoft Word. Power, small size, a long battery life, and runs the apps that I need on the job. I'm impressed!