Microsoft has revealed details on how Windows 8 will function on the ARM processor architecture.
Windows on ARM (or WOA) is a new entrant to the Windows family, like Windows Server, Windows Embedded or Windows Phone.
Microsoft Windows Live division president Steven Sinofsky said on the MSDN blog that Windows on ARM enables creativity in PC design that along with newly architected features of the Windows OS will bring to customers a new, PC experience.
It will have applications including Internet Explorer and the Windows Live apps that will be in a new user interface based on Microsoft’s design language Metro.
Within the Windows desktop, WOA includes desktop versions of the new Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, codenamed "Office 15".
Sinofsky said Microsoft has been working with multiple ARM licensees, including Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, and NVIDIA, where each has been working with partners that will bring WOA PCs to the market.
WOA PCs will be shipped at the same time as new PCs designed for Windows 8 on x86/64.
Metro applications are developed with the new Windows Runtime platform using various programming languages, including C++, Visual Basic, C#, and HTML/Javascript.
Metro applications are said to be cross-compatible with both x86 systems and ARM-based Windows systems.
