Windows on ARM to Include Traditional Desktop Interface

post from Daring Fireball on 09 February 2012 08:03:26 PM. © Daring Fireball

Steven Sinofsky:

Using WOA ?out of the box? will feel just like using Windows 8 onx86/64. You will sign in the same way. You will start and launchapps the same way. You will use the new Windows Store the sameway. You will have access to the intrinsic capabilities ofWindows, from the new Start screen and Metro style apps andInternet Explorer, to peripherals, and if you wish, the Windowsdesktop with tools like Windows File Explorer and desktop InternetExplorer. [?]
Some have suggested we might remove the desktop from WOA in aneffort to be pure, to break from the past, or to be moresimplistic or expeditious in our approach. To us, giving upsomething useful that has little cost to customers was acompromise that we didn?t want to see in the evolution of PCs. Thepresence of different models is part of every platform. Whether itis to support a transition to a future programming model (such asincluding a virtualization or emulation solution if feasible), tosupport different programming models on one platform (native andweb-based applications when both are popular), or to supportdifferent ways of working (command shell or GUI for differentscenarios), the presence of multiple models represents a flexiblesolution that provides a true no-compromise experience on anyplatform.

Count me in as one who suggested they go Metro-only on ARM. I truly believe this is a grave error on Microsoft’s part, and they’re ceding the future of personal computing to Apple and the iPad by doing this.

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Read The Full Article:
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/02/09/building-windows-for-the-arm-proces
sor-architecture.aspx