ARM

iHS iSuppli predicts that Microsoft’s ARM-enabled Windows 8 operating system will bring a new series of low-cost laptops stealing possible a significant share from Intel.

At the moment ARM enabled laptops are almost nonexistent. However, the market analyst believes that in 4 years ARM based laptops will account for 22.9% of global laptop shipments from 3% forecast for next year.

The laptops will be priced well under $700 - many in the sub-$500 segment, according to CNET and iHS-iSuppli analyst Matthew Wilkins.
 

As Microsoft and ARM announced their agreement last week many speculations have appeared on the Internet about what this partnership could actually mean. Many observers believe that Microsoft intends to deliver Windows or Windows Phone OS tablet and slate devices.

David Worthington from Technologizer supports the idea of a tablet running Windows Phone 7 operating system. He thinks that the success of “less feature-rich iPad proves” that Microsoft’s focus on smaller form factors for mobile version of Windows OS was “wrong”.

ARM and Microsoft Corp. today have signed a new licensing agreement for the ARM® architecture. The partnership of two companies has started in 1997 whenMicrosoft and ARM have worked together on software and devices across the embedded, consumer and mobile spaces, enabling many companies to deliver user experiences on a broad portfolio of ARM-based products. 

According to Wednesday's Evening Standard, The City's "gossips" are floating a rumor of Apple's interest in the UK chip designer, ARM.

Actually, Apple, with rumors of a possible takeover of ARM, announced Tuesday that it was sitting on a cash reserve of $41.7bn