While ARM, a developer of microprocessors with its own micro-architecture, wants to gain market share on the market of netbooks, Microsoft Corp., whose Windows operating system is installed onto the vast majority of PCs, said that the next-generation Windows 7 OS will not support ARM chips since Microsoft believes that they would not provide adequate performance.

“For people who want a PC, albeit a different chipset, we don't think those will work very well. We sort of learnt in the last year that if it looks like a PC and acts like a PC, people want the features and benefits of a PC,” said Steve Guggenheimer, Microsoft's corporate vice-president for original equipment manufacturers, reports Reuters news-agency.

ARM microprocessors are still supported by Windows Mobile operating system, but ARM expressed hopes a number of times that with its new microprocessors it would be able to compete for netbooks and even servers, the stronghold of Intel and Advanced Micro Devices. But without support from Windows 7 ARM will have to rely on operating systems like Google Android or Linux.

Microsoft also does not believe that manufacturers will be able to sell a lot of Google Android-based netbooks due to the lack of significant ecosystem.

“I’m somewhat sceptical that consumers will begin running to Android right now. You'll still want your printer to work, you'll still want your software to work. There's a lack of a complete ecosystem around Android,” Mr. Guggenheimer claimed.

The lack of ARM support by Windows 7 means that manufacturers will continue to use x86 microprocessors from AMD and Intel to make their low-cost mobile systems.

Tags: ARM, Microsoft, Windows, Intel, Atom, AMD, x86