ARM-based processors will be in notebooks this year as well as tablets, with servers to follow later, giving x86 a run for its money in the hardware market.
Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs has told Forbes that the industry is in for an ‘interesting’ few years and that Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 chipset will be in laptops this year.
He said 20 manufacturers had more than 70 designs using S4 for non-handset devices.
He anticipates ‘head-on’ competition with Intel in the hardware market.
Jacobs reckoned the big news of CES was the impending announcement of Window 8 for ARM.
This, he reckons, gives ARM-based chips their chance in notebooks, laptops and servers.
Qualcomm’s competitive edge in these markets derives from its capability in providing chip-sets for on/always synchronised computing, said Jacobs.
Jacobs said he also expected to see some ‘aggressive’ new form factors for ARM-based computers.
