What are these terms?

[AKA Preluva]

In regards to windows 8.... ARM? RT? What is this? :straight:

 

[jdevenberg]

First ARM. ARM is a type of processor (CPU, your computers brain). There are two main types of processors, x86/x64, which Intel is the largest producer of and which all previous versions of Windows have exclusively used (think computers), and then there is the competing ARM style chips that manufacturers such as Nvidia, Qualcom, and Texas Instruments use (think cellphones). Traditionally ARM have been low performance, low power consumption chips and x86/x64 have been high power consumption, high performance chips. Nowadays the high end of ARM style chips (like the Tegra 3 and Snapdragon S4) are overlapping with the lower end of x86/x64 chips (Intel Atom) in terms of both performance and power consumption.

Windows RT has two meanings. First it is the programming language Microsoft is using to allow developers to write Metro apps that will run on both x86/x64, and for the first time, ARM chips. It's second meaning is as a version of Windows. When Windows 8 launches, a new version of Windows called Windows RT will also launch. This new version of Windows will allow, for the first time ever, for Windows to run on ARM chips, while the other versions of Windows 8 will continue to use x86 and x64 chips. Windows RT devices will use the same type of chips that Android tabs and the iPad use. This should allow for less expensive, thinner, lighter devices with better battery life. However, these new Windows tabs using ARM processors and running Windows RT will not be able to run current Windows (called Win32) programs and will only be able to run new applications specifically written in Microsofts new WinRT programming style.