and low-power side of the equation is a Cortex-A7. The big side is a Cortex-A15. A platform would typically consist of a single Cortex-A7 core and possibly multiple Cortex-A15 cores. The system would run one set or the other depending upon its requirements with an eye toward reducing power consumption. All the Arm platforms in use are 32-bit cores with the 64-bit architecture on the horizon (see " ARM Joins The 64-Bit Club "). Initially, the 64-bit core will target the server space. MIPS has 32-bit and 64-bit architectures, but the SoCs for the tablet market use the 32-bit variants. MIPS licenses its design like Arm, and MIPS is used in a wide range of products including those in the embedded consumer space. The MIPS architecture is known for high efficiency and low power, which are important in tablets. The Z2760 Atom builds on Intel's existing x86 architecture. It uses Intel's 32-nm high-k metal gate process. The dual-core chip supports hyperthreading so it can run four threads simultaneously. This isn't the same as four distinct cores, but it is much better than two cores. Intel has built Atom SoCs before, but the Z2760 targets tablets, more specifically tablets running Windows 8. It can run any 32- or 64-bit x86 operating system including Linux/Android, but don't look for any Z2760 Android tablets anytime soon. Intel and its partners are putting its Z2760 support behind Windows 8. Intel also has spent a lot of time on the design of the power management.