[TouchPad Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] pflatlyne:
Potentially he may be correct. Windows 8 as far as I know runs ARM binaries rather than a virtual machine like Dalvek. Actually,I suspect that Microsoft might have done well to try to move windows programs onto some sort of virtual machine. Like android,some programs would still use the bare metal,while most would use the virtual machine. Most programs people run would be fine on a virtual machine. That MIGHT have had a chance of staving off the train wreck thats coming for Microsoft. Really,I dont think it would,but they had only a few real options.

One,allow windows on tablets ONLY to be ARM,that way,all tablets run the same software,but not the desktop software.

Option 2,make all windows tablets Intel. Then all windows tablets run the same software and ALSO run the same software we can run on our PCs. Some programs will be clunky with the tablet interface and really require a external keyboard,but they will run with an onscreen keyboard if you really want to do it that way. Option one or two eliminates confusion and the resulting anger from Microsofts customers. Option 2 is best. Stick with intel,make intel tablets. Sell them for 600 dollars. Watch all the WIndows 8 tablet fans talking about how their tablets are so much better than I-Pads becuase they run real programs and are not expensive toys like the android and ipad tablets are. Watch Apples sales plummet.

Option 3,make both,confuse your customers. They will see their freind with a shiney new Windows tablet that can run the same software their desktops do,then go out and buy one. Of course,they are going to see two kinds of them,the RT ARM tablets and the Pro Intel tablets (presumably an Atom chip). They will see the price difference is about 500 dollars. They will think "Im not using it for buisiness,just some web browsing and Id like to run Word on it and maybe a few of my favorite games" They will buy the cheap one,get it home and find out that it wont run their favorite programs. They will be confused. They SAW their freind do it. They will think they just dont know how to get it to work and there is some trick. They will waste a day or two trying before looking for help. Finally,either from their freinds who understand computers and tablets,or from MS tech support,they will figure out that there are two kinds of tablets. The cool ones that can do all that neat stuff,but cost 1000 dollars,and the "lame" ones that use some sort of "off brand" ARM chip,whatever that is,and cant. They will be even more confused becuase they allways understood that those other brand chips those AMD things or ARM things ("arn't they the same thing?!?" they will ask.) ran all the same programs as the intel ones. They will be very angry and will probably return the ARM tablets.

They may even put off Windows 8 altogether on their home PCs and even put off upgrading to a new PC.

Microsoft is going to just "love" this reason for people not upgrading their PCs or operating systems.

"I dont want one of those new PCs,becuase I have to get thousands of dollars of new software becuase it wont run any old stuff,so Im just going to stick with my old PC"

They will be told by some people,or even the MS commericals that it will. They will simply be confused,chalk it up to people "Not understanding" or to Microsofts marketing hype. They KNOW it wont run any of their software,becuase they bought that tablet (or their brother or freind or coworker bought one) and tried to run the old software on it and it would not work. Go ahead and try to explain how there are different kinds of Windows 8.

Think about it,how many people HERE ask if you can run Windows 7 on a touchpad. How many people HERE cant get the difference between an ARM tablet running webOS,running android,running windows 8,and an intel tablet running windows and a desktop PC strait. Try explaining compatibility to your grandmother who said,"It said it was out of hard disk space,but it shouldnt be because you just put in 8GB for me last month. I went and bought more memory anyway,can you help me install it" and then she hands you the 4gb flash drive she bought. :eek: Try explaining to her the difference between ARM and intel. "Didnt the last computer you buy me have one of those ARM chips in it?" "No grandma,that was AMD,ARM chips are like the ones in your phone." "So can i make calls on it?"

Like I said,train wreck in the making. I do wonder if Windows RT 8 tablets will be sold at fire sale prices next year.