Microsoft joins Qualcomm and Google to bring Chrome to Windows on ARM



[ad_1]

The Asus NovaGo is part of the first generation of Windows 10 on ARM systems, using a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor.
Enlarge / The Asus NovaGo is part of the first generation of Windows 10 on ARM systems, using a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor.

Two Microsoft engineers contributed to the Google Chrome browser code to make it a native ARM Windows application, as 9to5google says.

Windows 10 on ARM, Microsoft's second attempt at creating a PC line running on ARM processors, is an important operation, unlike Windows RT, Microsoft's first attempt. It can run x86 programs in an emulator, which greatly expands the range of software it can use. But this has a negative impact on performance. Whenever possible, it is best to have native ARM applications.

Chrome is one of the biggest blocking points. Google's browser is the most used third-party application on Windows. Although Chrome works of course on ARM systems (Android phones and Chrome OS laptops), it does not compile properly as a Windows application on ARM. The contributions made by Microsoft developers address these various issues: adding ARM64 generation targets, specifying compilers and appropriate Windows SDK versions, alternatives to x86 code, and so on.

Qualcomm also seems to be participating in this effort. An executive said last month that the company was working on establishing a native ARM port for Windows.

A true ARM version of Chrome for Windows would probably be beneficial for all three companies. For Microsoft and Qualcomm, this makes Windows on ARM a more attractive option for buyers. For Google, it provides a hedge; Currently, the best browsing experience on ARM Windows comes from Microsoft Edge. While the platform is currently piling up against Windows on ARM, which has a substantial market share (the poor performance of first-generation devices has been widely criticized), future prospects are a little more promising and Faster systems are expected soon. By ensuring that Chrome runs on these machines, there is no chance that Google will be excluded from a new segment of the market.

[ad_2]
Source link