Oddly, what I'd really like to see is ARM enter the NUC space. Maybe I'm the only one, but I'd like be able to pay $200-400 for a small, low power usage, decently performant machine. The 8th generation Intel NUC are good, but 28W TDP and it'd be nice to get it much, much lower than that. I know these are a small fraction of the overall market but personally I think it'd be cool.
I think it's amusing to remember that ARM started off in fancy 32-bit high-performance desktop machines: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn_Archimedes" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn_Archimedes</a>
Will we be able to run our own Linux kernels on these laptops? "In January 2012, Microsoft confirmed it would require hardware manufacturers to enable secure boot on Windows 8 devices, and that x86/64 devices must provide the option to turn it off while ARM-based devices must not provide the option to turn it off.[15]" (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_boot" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_boot</a>)
My impression is that every time ARM release a new big core (e.g. A73, A75) they project massive improvements. And then what's actually sold shows half the expected speedup, due to the design not clocking anywhere near as high as ARM projected. Given that history, why is everyone so willing to take these latest numbers at face value?
Do ARM chips have ME or PSP equivalents? It would be great to be able to buy a new machine and use something like coreboot without having to use hacks to disable ME.
I am holding on to x86 until ARM figures something out on standardization like in PC space. If I need to have custom kernel, boot loader and rely on GPU drivers from different vendors for each computer I am going to buy - no thanks.
Now we really need (non-Qualcomm) SoC makers to get on board with actually making laptop/desktop-grade chips. Rockchip RK3399 and Marvell Armada 8k are big steps in the right direction, but we need <i>more</i> power (and PCIe lanes).
Will the new CPUs implement DRTM (dynamic root of trust, similar to Intel TXT) for Windows 10 SystemGuard? This appears to be planned for Qualcomm Arm CPUs that support Windows 10 and x86 emulation.<p><a href="https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2018/04/19/introducing-windows-defender-system-guard-runtime-attestation/" rel="nofollow">https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2018/04/19/...</a><p><i>> "Windows Defender System Guard runtime attestation, which is built into the core Windows operating system, will soon be delivered in all editions of Windows. Windows Defender System Guard runtime attestation, like Credential Guard, takes advantage of the same hardware-rooted security technologies in virtualization-based security (VBS) to mitigate attacks in software."</i>
IMHO, ARM performance is "good enough" for consumption and light editing/creation.<p>The real test for this is software.<p>Anyone remember this?
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FX!32" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FX!32</a><p>Exactly...
When you factor in NAND, RAM, Wireless Network, at what point will the lower CPU price be irrelevant for leaving the x86 Desktop ecosystem? Ryzen 3 2200G cost only $99. So Assuming everything else being the same, would you pay $99 more for the NUC or board?<p>It is the same reason why x86 doesn't work out when it is moving into mobile space, same reason ARM doesn't work out moving up to Notebook Desktop space.<p>Two more years down the road I wouldn't be surprise to see a Dual Zen Core, 64 Vega APU selling for $59 or less.
I am of two minds about this.<p>While i want to see the x86 desktop get a serious contender once again, it has risen on the back of a very open and modular platform.<p>But ARM based products are virtual black boxes by comparison.<p>Thus i worry if ARM rising to the challenge on the desktop will lead to an acceleration of the trend of "devicification" the desktop.
I'm expecting first comments in spirit "without Windows it's dead on arrival."<p>To them¸ I tell that dozens of makers of ARM laptops in China could not be wrong manufacturing a product at huge profit for over a decade (yes, the netbook wave has ceased much in the Western world, but the need for cheap, near disposable machine that can send email and read simple websites is still around)<p>Cheap laptops made on prehistoric Via Wondermedia chips are made by tons and are flooding places like Africa and India <a href="https://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?fsb=y&IndexArea=product_en&CatId=&SearchText=arm+laptop" rel="nofollow">https://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?fsb=y&IndexArea=product...</a>