Lakefield, M1, and ARM

image: Intel

This post was going to be about Intel cancelling the Lakefield chipset due to low demand and shifts in the market but I want to expand o that.

2020 created an interesting shift in computing. For a whole year computing shifted back to a more PC centric stance form mobile. I don’t think its a lasting trend but I think the shift in focus will have lasting impact on the PC market; and one of those areas is around adoption of ARM.

For most people ARM is the chips found in their smartphones and beyond that its stuff for the nerds. A few will remember the days ARM, and the similar RISC, powering early computers like the Acorn. It’s combination of performance and battery management has made it the de-facto chip for mobile devices and the System on a chip design (SOC) has allowed it in recent years to move into more spaces like the data center and PCs.

And this is the part where Intel comes in.

I don’t know how many people remember Moorestown or MeeGO or AppUp or any of the earlier initiatives Intel had in getting into the mobile market. Much of the early to mid 2000s found Intel trying to compete in the lower end chip market to really mixed results that led to them cutting out of the mobile market in the 2010s. Then in 2019 Intel started discussing Lakefield.

Lakefield was Intel’s take on SOC design. For years Intel has been working on getting its chips to run better on the low end. This means balancing the power and performance its core chips are known for with designs that allowed for things like fan-less PCs. Lakefield was supposed to be the next step in allowing Intel’s chips to be used in things that look more like the iPad and less like netbooks. It would also help in competing against the likes of Qualcomm which were coming into the laptop space thanks to Windows on Arm (WoA). And Intel even designed concepts for Lakefield devices which clearly showed this chip was made for mobile computing. Both Samsung and Lenovo were coming out with devices running on the chip while Microsoft was using it to power both the new Surface Neo and Windows 10x.

All good right?

Well no. Intel announced on this week it was ending Lakefield mostly due to demands of the market and customers going for other chips. Also it may have to do with the fact that it has struggled with getting its chips passed the 10 nanometer mark.

Okay this piece is running long and Intel is only part of the story.

I am going to rush this a bit so apologies if I have left out all the juicy architecture bits (not Anandtech). Intel canceling Lakefield doesn’t stop the trend in adopting mobile chip design to larger computing devices. It only changes the major players.

image: Apple

Okay the M1 chip by Apple is a big deal and a drop in the bucket and a major shift in thinking all at the same time. It is a big deal because it is a mobile first chip designed by a major computer vendor that competes and at times beats laptop processors. It moves ARM and SOC chips beyond mobile phones. It is another signifier of the larger shifts in computing not needing certain overheads. But it is a drop in the computing bucket. it runs on the Mac and one iPad model; everything else is running on Intel and AMD or Qualcomm.

image: Inferse.com

Don’t get me wrong the M1 and its successors are a big deal, but its going to get competition. it won’t one to one. Apple has been good at getting its developers to move with the platform; but what they’ve done is repeatable. Microsoft moved to the ARM architecture during Windows 8 and while its been slow has been evolving. Qualcomm has moved from using off the shelf chips to designs built for Windows and ChromeOS. The reception of the M1 is helping push ARM chips further into the overall PC market; Intel dropping Lakefield is a potential boon for Qualcomm especially for PC vendors who are looking towards more mobile form factors.

Okay that’s it I have written enough gobbly wobbly.

Crank it to 11

Okay Hi

Been awhile since I’ve done this so apologies for the run on sentences.

And yes I came back because of Windows 11 aka Sun Valley aka PanOS.

So tomorrow the sequel to Windows 10 will be previewed and shown off by Microsoft. And while a build recently leaked there is a bit of buzz going around. Described by Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella as the most significant change to Windows in a long time, Windows 11 will be under the microscope.

image: Microsoft

Into the (Sun) Valley

The road to Windows 11 is interesting and I have no idea how it started, but I hazard to guess it started with Panos Panay (Chief of Windows and Devices) and hardware. I think Panay is the first chief of Windows whose background is primarily consumer focused. Previously he was in charge of the Surface line taking the product from a big ass touch table to Microsoft’s boutique PC brand.

As head of Windows Panay has inherited a diminished kingdom. The last half decade and emergence of mobile phones has diminished the role of the desktop OS. Windows is still a cash cow but it is no longer central to Microsoft or its bottom line as it has been. The operating system has been coasting along since the Windows 10 was announced about four years ago. In that time competing systems such as iPad OS and ChromeOS have made inroads into business, education, and home.

And without Windows Mobile and Windows 10 being determined to be the last version of the desktop OS, shit got quiet.

That was until recently.

I am going to skip over Windows 10X because its story is long and its been put on ice.

I want to discuss Windows 11 aka Sun Valley.

Speaking hours before the reveal Windows 11 is in plain terms a facelift for Windows. After Windows 8 changed the interaction layer to the cries of people Microsoft pulled it back with 10. 11 will move the signpost by an inch. Building of the Fluent design language it appears the focus is on providing a new, approachable interface to users. The big change, moving the taskbar to the center and redesigning the taskbar are already known. But there are rumors that Windows 11 will see new apps and updates to older applications. One of the more interesting ones is the Store which has been stagnant and abandoned; it will see changes to its design and to the store policies making them much more open. There are supposed to be additional changes to the touch layer including the end of a dedicated tablet mode.

and rounded corners

There are some questions about Windows 11. Some will be answered tomorrow and others on the following day when Redmond will hold a developer online conference. For me I am interested to see if Microsoft has lined up software partners for the event. It would be interesting to see the company get vendors such as Adobe on stage. Another thing I sort of want to see is what features of 10X show up. It has been reported things like the action center and the start menu are influenced by 10X but what else? Also what type of devices influenced the design of Windows 11? Will it run on say the Surface Neo? Are there new improvements to pen and ink?

The one thing I think is certain is that this will be Panos Panay’s moment to put his stamp on Windows. It will be interesting to see how Windows is shaped by someone who has had to sell hardware versus only the platform.

If you want to see the event there is the official Microsoft Windows Event

and now the Teaser

Set a reminder to experience what’s new, live, June 24th at 11 am ET 📅 https://t.co/r7D0GQnR4x pic.twitter.com/UJrji0WxxB

— Windows (@Windows) June 23, 2021

Allow me to reintroduce Myself…..

Testing

Testing

Testing

Countdown to the Microsoft Surface Event 2019

This week Microsoft will be holding a hardware event in which they are likely to reveal refreshes to their hardware lineup.

And possibly reveal some long rumored hardware and software.

(the later is honestly really overdue I mean seriously we are talking years)

Reading around the web and social media the consensus is this will be a big event. Unlike the recent launches for the Surface Hub 2, the Surface Go, and the most recent updates to the Pro and Book lines this event will be live streamed. I should note they do tape the announcements and release those afterwards.

It is somewhat interesting to note that the event was first thought to be a quiet affair until the streaming announcement. Then the rumors, leaks, and speculation went into gear. (I mean I am writing again)

So what are the rumors?

Well beyond the obvious refreshes and cries for USB-C and Thunderbolt there is new software and a dual screen tablet.

On tap are refreshes for the the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop with the laptop potentially losing its fabric keyboard top for a traditional one and gaining both AMD chips and a 15 inch version. The Surface Pro is looking at updated internals and an ARM based version.

The big potential reveal could be the combination of a dual screen device codenamed Centaurus and a new operating system Windows Lite.

Lastly Microsoft is rumored to be releasing a speaker aimed at enterprise and earbuds.

We will learn more in 24 hours.

 

2 Years Later…..

So if you are reading this, welcome.

So its been a minute since I wrote on this little blog. I honestly stopped because it got boring for me. I mean this was my little corner to write out my musings mostly about Microsoft because I was reading news and screaming at my laptop. And I stopped because honestly I didn’t give a shit about covering a company retreating from consumer computing.

However I am tired of screaming at my laptop and talking to myself about technology.

SO I am going to do that again here.

The Apple iPhone at 10

Today marks the ten year anniversary of the launch of the iPhone. It is weird to think back to how different the mobile landscape was and is because of the iPhone.

For many people the iPhone is the first smartphone.

I know it was for me anyway.

Back in 2007 the launch of Apple’s kind of began and ended in the small backwater of the tech news section. There was no live stream or coverage beyond the handful of tech and smartphone websites.

Hell I don’t even remember how I learned about it.

Where I lived the big phone was Motorola’s Razr flip phone. I remember that because I had a neighbor that just kept buying them. The larger smartphone world was one in which Nokia and RIM (later Blackberry) were the big platforms in mobile. Then Steve Jobs announced a device that brought together, “Widescreen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone, and a breakthrough internet communication device”, into one form factor. And the world is still reeling.

The first device didn’t have an app store and was underpowered when compared to nerdier fare. See the iPhone wasn’t the first mobile phone, but it was the one to cross over. It was the first device to cross out the boardroom and power users to normal people. It opened the way for the modern computing experience we have now.

And it made Apple the Brand we know now.

The aftershocks from 2007 is still being felt. Services like Airbnb, Instagram, Snapchat, and Uber all sprang from mobile. Android was born in reaction to the iPhone. Companies like Palm and Microsoft redesigned their products to compete. It made a few companies retire. It retrained and changed user behavior and expectations. It created a whole new set of software and interface interactions.

It gave us the lines at the Apple store.

So as we wait for the inevitable event that will be the iPhone 8 let’s tip the hat to the OG iPhone.

Mobile Confusion

Half of the time the inspiration to write a post begins out of the frustration of reading online commentary. Sometimes its an opinion I find intriguing; but sometimes its simply because I think someone else wrote some bullshit.

The day Microsoft decided to retrench its mobile efforts I wish I had honestly switched to some cheap ass Android device and called it a day. Because the community that is Windows Phone has descended into madness. There are a lot of angry users who are split between straight up anger and hostility that honestly Microsoft should address.

For example I read one guy just going off about Microsoft cheating users. I get the anger of his sentiment, but I also understand in the larger scheme his and others anger is moot because mobile is a black hole for Microsoft.

The problem for me is that I get and feel the anger, but I also understand why the retrenchment happened.

By the time Microsoft bought the Nokia hardware assets Windows Phone had only one phone maker; Nokia. Microsoft was keeping the company afloat by infusing it with cash. The Nokia deal damaged relations with companies like Samsung (who honestly Windows Phone needed as not if not more than Nokia). The mobile platform was failing to get and retain apps and Windows 8 meant a new and separate app store that competed for attention.

It was a mess.

Was it fixable? Possibly but that isn’t what happened.

Should Microsoft had been clearer to users? Fuck yes.

 

The Ultimate Mobile Device?

Microsoft is considering a return to the phone market. And the device they may return with is a dual screen device that can be used as a tablet. Looking at patents the dual screen will provide a continuous screen when in tablet mode. Microsoft detailed a number of sizes for the mobile device in both phone and tablet configurations. They even experimented it seems on a three screen foldable device; but the final version looks to be a dual screen.

This year Microsoft received patents for a series of technologies that together may provide a glimpse at a future device. The patents cover the screen, a hinge mechanism, and two cover the device itself. All patents point to a mobile device that is a combination of a smartphone and a tablet. While patents tend to obscure specific information the accompanying images provide an idea on what Microsoft is considering.

On the surface, this device looks a lot like the ill fated Microsoft Courier. Both are dual screen, touch devices but the Courier screen was separated by a large hinge and was more of a digital notebook.

This new device is a mix of tablet and phone; also the device minimizes the hinge between the screens to create a seamless screen when used as a tablet.

Between the first filled patent in 2011 and the most recent filling, Microsoft has seemingly changed the design of the hinge mechanism. In earlier designs the hinge allowed for a device that opened flat 180 degrees or close. The latest design seems to use a combination of magnates and a flexible hinge to improve usability. In the patent they discuss the various positions which now allow the device to flip the screen 360 degrees.

While this is exciting news it should be remembered that these are patents and companies file them all the time and don’t mean a device is incoming. But based on this and other information we may see this soon.

Microsoft’s New Way to Design

Last week Microsoft announced a number of new features for the next Windows update and in time I will get to them; but right now I want to the public reveal of Project Neon.

Fluent Design System

Starting with the Fall Creator’s Update Microsoft will be shifting Windows away from the flat, minimalist world of Metro to the third dimension known as the Fluent Design System (FDS).

Fluent Design is an expansion on some of the ideas Microsoft started playing with in Metro, but it is also is the opposite of it. FDS caries on the ideas of the use of colors and for apps to be digitally native, but it’s not the strongly flat thing Metro was. FDS is also not as stringent as the guidelines for Metro was. FDS still draws inspiration from the same sources as Metro did but the world FDS is built for is far different.

Designed for the Surface and Mixed Reality

One of the interesting things I learned about Fluent Design is it was partly designed around the fact Microsoft makes hardware. The obvious one was HoloLens, Microsoft’s augmented reality headset. FDS takes clear inspiration from the device with a focus on depth and materials and scale. But I think one of the other sources is the Surface.

Put bluntly Fluent Design is about creating appealing software and experiences that will make Windows devices desirable. The Surface team has been pushing the hardware envelope but the software has largely languished. FDS potentially fixes that.

Right now FDS will not be a one and done affair, but instead release as a series of waves. Wave 1 is already out with a number of applications using aspects in their apps.

So this is the end of part one. I’m going to post up a series of various images showing the future of Fluent Design soon.

Bittersweet Build

I feel very conflicted about this year’s Build conference. Build is the annual developer conference covering Azure and Windows. This year Microsoft unveiled an ambitious goal for itself along with a new design language; but I’m a bit sour about it.

The fact Microsoft is embracing iOS and Android is not the problem it is the lack of resolution for its own mobile platform. It is clear Microsoft is done with Windows 10 Mobile but it won’t come forward and make the formal statement. It has moved Mobile to a separate branch and the new features from the upcoming Fall Creator’s Update are not planned to appear.

The fact that Microsoft is shifting focus and changing tactics is one thing; not communicating the change is another. I mean at this point the people left using Windows Mobile in the company’s Insider program are wasting their time because their input is irrelevant. And that is a real disappointment.

And I like that Microsoft is embracing all platforms, but I don’t know how to feel about the fact they treat a set of users like non-entities. And it is made all the worse because Microsoft acts like they are doing all these users a favor.

 

So for me I am only left with questions.

 

Like does the new design language come to small devices?

 

Is Microsoft working on a new type of mobile device; and if so who will trust Microsoft to actually buy it?