Updates to this story
Intel has gone ahead and leaked details of the Windows 8 ARM platform plans.
According to Renée James at Intel's Investor Meeting 2011 in Satan Clara, there will be four versions Microsoft is building for ARM.
The problem is, according to Intel, ARM versions won't be able to work with legacy stuff and will instead be aimed squarely at mobile and tablet devices.
That's why Intel isn't breaking a sweat, yet. There will also be a version for Intel chips to tackle the desktop.
Otellini spoke up too. According to EE Times, he said: "Yes, the ARM guys are getting a port to Windows, but it's really four ports because every OS has to be written to a chip, so Microsoft is really doing four ports of Windows to ARM."
Specific details of Windows for ARM were left out by Otellini, but he reportedly showed slides that said they'll be tailored to specific ARM cores, System on Chip flavours or cores from ARM's robust range of licensees.
ARM's System on Chip variety for Windows 8 will also be fit for performing with Intel's x86 line, but ARM's equivalent won't run "legacy apps not now or ever" according to Renée James.
Meanwhile, the PC version of Windows 8 will have a compatibility mode with Windows 7 and it will also support older applications.
While this might be a smoke curtain from Intel, I guess it'd be pretty dificult to make WIndows work in any hardware, as it can't really work in x86 chips yet.
But it's too soon for intel to be at ease. This might be the first step in mobile market from M$. And we all know it'll be huge, I guess much bigger than the XBOX efford. M$phone and M$pad will get loads of cash and Windows 8 versions.
Who would bet against a second wave of M$ designed netbooks and notebooks, carrying M$ designed ARM processors? If there's installed base, aplications will come. Specially if developers get $omething extra from M$.
Then intel will be screwed. AMD will be in the same boat if they don't start to look seriously at ARM.