Qualcomm to power Windows 8

Yesterday, at Microsoft’s BUILD conference being held in California, Qualcomm announced that it and Microsoft are working together implement Qualcomm’s Snapdragon mobile processor in the first generation of Windows 8 mobile devices.

Qualcomm yesterday announced that it and Microsoft are collaborating to enable Qualcomm’s Snapdragon next generation family of mobile processors to power the first generation of upcoming Windows 8-based PCs, becoming one of the only silicon providers to date positioned to support both Windows smartphones and PCs. In addition, Qualcomm’s Gobi mobile Internet connectivity solutions will provide Windows 8-based PCs with wireless 3G/4G connectivity to deliver an always-connected experience. Microsoft Corp. demonstrated an early developer preview of Windows 8-based prototype PCs powered by Snapdragon processors and Gobi connectivity during the keynote address at BUILD earlier today.

‚We are excited to be at BUILD to show the Windows ecosystem and how we are working together towards commercialization of apps and hardware that will run Windows 8,‚ said Luis Pineda, senior vice president of product management, computing and consumer products at Qualcomm. ‚It is a priority for Qualcomm to work with the developer community to optimize the Snapdragon and Gobi-powered platform for Windows 8 to provide an unparalleled mobile user experience.‚

As one of the largest providers of wireless chipset and software technology in the industry, Qualcomm has one of the most diverse chipset and software product portfolios spanning multiple device classes. The next generation of Snapdragon processors is a family of all-in-one chipsets with the option for integrated multimode 3G/4G, differing numbers of CPU cores and the ability to support a range of device types.

Shown for the first time, Qualcomm’s Gobi solution provided the 3G/4G LTE connectivity of a Windows 8-based prototype PC. Qualcomm’s Gobi mobile Internet connectivity solution is a pre-certified multi-mode 3G/4G LTE module that makes it easy for OEMs to certify the connectivity of any Windows 8-based PC. By integrating a Gobi-based module into Windows 8-based PCs, Qualcomm will provide a fast, easy-to-use global connectivity solution for an untethered, productive user experience.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon family of mobile processors also delivers dual-band Wi-Fi¬Æ, Bluetooth and FM radio connectivity through Qualcomm Atheros’ WCN3660 combo chip. The WCN3660 is an integrated solution optimized to work with a broad range of mobile operating systems and will be the first in a series of 802.11n wireless LAN solutions to fully support Windows 8.

‚Collaborating with Qualcomm to deliver Windows 8-based PCs will help deliver a high-performance and differentiated experience for customers,‚ said Mike Angiulo, corporate vice president of Windows planning, hardware and PC ecosystem, Microsoft. ‚Working closely with Qualcomm allows us to maximize performance while maintaining a high level of energy efficiency.‚

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