Microsoft launched its new Surface Go device earlier this month with an Intel Pentium Gold processor inside. It’s been one of the main focus points for discussions around performance and mobility for this 10-inch Surface, and lots of people have wondered why Microsoft didn’t opt for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors and Windows on ARM. Paul Thurrott reports that Microsoft wanted to use an ARM processor for the Surface Go, but that Intel intervened.
Intel reportedly “petitioned Microsoft heavily” to use its Pentium Gold processors instead of ARM ones. It’s not clear why Microsoft didn’t push ahead with its ARM plans for Surface Go, but in my own experience the latest Snapdragon chips simply don’t have the performance and compatibility to match Intel on laptops just yet. Microsoft has been working hard to improve this though, despite Intel’s threats it would sue competitors like Qualcomm if they attempt to emulate Intel’s x86 instruction set architecture.
It’s certainly an interesting time for Windows on ARM. New devices with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 850 processor will debut in time for the holiday season, but a new chip with even more performance improvements will be available early next year. ARM also laid out a two-year roadmap for its processor designs recently, and unveiled a Cortex-A76 CPU earlier this year. ARM claims the Cortex-A76 will deliver laptop-class performance while drawing smaller amounts of power like smartphones do.
It’s still early days for Windows on ARM, and once app compatibility, emulation, and performance is all improved then it could spell some serious trouble for Intel’s laptop dominance. Microsoft is also pushing ahead with ARM server designs, threatening Intel’s dominance in the datacenter. Intel has been struggling to move towards its next-generation 10nm Cannon Lake processors, with mass production of the chips now expected for 2019 instead of the end of 2018 as originally planned. Intel now faces a fight for its future, with strong competition from AMD, Nvidia, and Qualcomm making it a turbulent time in the ongoing processor and platform battles.
Comments
Time to sell a few shares..
By KoolAid51 on 08.24.18 6:06am
- Brian Krzanich, after being informed of Spectre and Meltdown
By llort on 08.24.18 11:21am
It’s telling that ARM is comparing its future processor to lame ol’ 7300U processors.
By kulf on 08.24.18 6:28am
Those are still robust enough for decent workloads on thin and light tablets or laptops.
By texazzpete on 08.24.18 6:33am
I’d like to know a processor that can match the lame ol’ 7300U in speed while boasting lower power consumption.
By glitch_256 on 08.24.18 7:04am
At 5W instead of 15W
Intel is not standing still, but a world of hurt is still coming their way.
By Zizy on 08.24.18 9:47am
Arm guys have been saying that for years and Arm has touted awesome performance for the last few generations but the end products never actually deliver said performance due to requiring much lower clock speeds in order to fit any of the thermal requirements.
This a75 will not run at 3.0ghz in a real product, just like a75 does not and a73 before that.
By foremi on 08.24.18 5:37pm
I have to admit that the Surface Go is a fantastic little machine. I am generally an Apple guy through and through, but having the ability to use the Go as a mini laptop is much better than my iPad Pro (9.7).
Is it as fast with apps and such? No. But I can run full on Excel for all of my work spreadsheets. I can than pull up Steam and run something like OOTP 19.
It’s a great little machine.
By Oh, Dickey! on 08.24.18 6:45am
I was definitely surprised at how much I could do with it.
By Tom Warren on 08.24.18 7:12am
As I’ve yet to try a newer laptop (as opposed to netbooks) with a 10-inch screen, I’m dubious for it being suitable for work for me.
However, anything that lets me use my machine for longer, with the media-focused types of functionality that I probably would use a device at this size for, I’d be interested in.
By wubanger on 08.24.18 8:51am
Yeah but Civ 6 on my iPad and iPhone blew my mind when it comes to ARM’s potential for the future… I don’t know how and how fast x86 can catch up to raw power compared to wattage with recent ARM contenders!!!
By T.E.D. on 11.21.18 7:33pm
Oh, okay, it’s OOTP 19 now? We need a shorthand for Out of the Park Baseball 19. That’s how fundamental it is
By fax.machine on 08.24.18 9:22am
I really want one but I have no need for it as I have a Surface Book. It says a lot about the product when it has that "just gotta have it" factor tho.
By BausFight on 08.24.18 11:34am
I’m waiting for a thicker surface book. I love the one I’m using now, but I want more RAM and a stupidly expensive processor to match.
By Jerod on 08.25.18 8:29pm
Well, since all Surfaces are 90% laptop, 10% tablet (figures pulled out of thin air), that’s not surprising.
By Pandora's boss on 08.24.18 12:03pm
The Intel product is a superior choice for a Windows laptop product, but once again, MS is mortgaging its future. The correct business choice is ARM. Not simply because this is a midsized tablet, but to stay competitive, they and their OEMs need the mobile tech and diversity of ARM. And to capitalize that, they need their ecosystem plugged into that, and that means more devices sooner. They’ve already had false starts and that only hurts them.
Putting off the transition doesn’t help MS, so I hope they got a ton of money from Intel.
By nico_mach on 08.24.18 7:44am
Have you ever used a Windows on arm laptop Microsoft made the right choice for a product for today surface go2 will prob be arm. But the Intel chips for the near future will always be a better choice then arm simply because no matter what arm chips can’t run 64bit legacy Windows apps
By dash1085 on 08.24.18 7:48am
In two years, yes. Last year, when they were developing this? probably not.
By pallentx on 08.24.18 9:44am
It doesn’t hurt MS one bit. While ARM preps a powerful chipset, MS can work on the software side of things.
Not sure what you’re talking about ‘ecosystem’ when it’ll just run standard Win32 applications.
By texazzpete on 08.24.18 4:31pm
The Surface Go I’m hearing is off to a slow start, what a surprise.
Microsoft needs a new OS to truly revolutionize the PC industry and compete with iOS, Android and Intel needs a competitor to ARM. Wintel is not working.
By Slyone on 08.24.18 8:11am
Is this sarcasm?
Because surely you’re not serious.
By NewWorldOrder on 08.24.18 9:02am
Dead serious. The PC market is still in decline after years of talk of 2-in-1 and other form factors.
People don’t love their Windows OS and PCs as they love their phones mobile OS’s and platforms. The Surface Go will not change that fact as it’s still the same desktop OS and Wintel PC they’ve had for decades.
It’s this immediate shortsighted thinking why Microsoft is in the possition they’re in today. There was nothing stopping them from continuing with Windows while at the same time developing from the ground up the next mobile friendly OS to truly compete.
By Slyone on 08.24.18 9:22am
There’s an article that says PC sales are growing. Posted in July, on The Verge.
By The_Don_ONEz on 08.24.18 9:32am
So we have a spike with businesses upgrading but continued decline with consumers. Overall trend of decline will continue. Again shortsightedness. The market needs a true revolution, something different not the same legacy desktop OS in different form factors.
https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/13/17567760/pc-sales-growth-idc-gartner-july-2018
By Slyone on 08.24.18 9:41am
Surprised people are arguing against you. The MAIN complaint against the well-reviewed Surface Go is that tablet mode is super average. If Microsoft had figured out the tablet/touch portion of the OS the Surface Go blow the iPad out of the water IMO.
By Burgerman on 08.24.18 10:00am