ARM-Powered Windows 8 Lacks Legacy App Support

In addition to an Intel x86 version, Windows 8 reportedly will have ARM support for mobile devices (with up to four different ARM iterations), according to statements made by Intel today. But the big news out of those statements: The ARM versions of Windows 8 won’t have the ability to run legacy, or older, applications. That means that consumers looking to purchase a Windows 8-powered tablet or smartphone would essentially need to buy their applications all over again, if they’re available at all.

Intel’s version of Windows 8 will run on x86 architecture and include a Windows 7 mode. In a not-so-subtle dig, Intel senior vice president, Renée James took time to point out ARM’s shortcomings while touting Intel’s strengths of far-reaching compatibility and longstanding relationship with Microsoft.

“Intel has a unified architecture,” James said. “What that means is that applications and operating systems can run from one generation of Intel platform to the next generation, and the same applications are going to run, forward- and backward-compatible. You can run the same application between different versions of our architecture – between Atom, between Xeon, between Core – which is not the case for our competitors in the ARM ecosystem.”

While it’s a potentially big drawback for consumers, there is hope. Microsoft, which is no stranger to making multiple OS versions, has yet to comment on the validity of James’ statements. There has also been no mention of an impending ship date giving ARM time to make any necessary changes. The only thing that’s certain is that Windows 8 will be coming to mobile devices in the near future.

According to Intel, there will also be an Intel version of the OS for the mobile device market as well.

Via Channel Register, Engadget