Microsoft and Qualcomm’s ‘Always Connected PCs,’ explained.
A couple of days ago, Qualcomm and Microsoft announced they were collaborating on a category of computer called the ‘Always Connected PC.’ In other words, a PC that behaves more like a smartphone. That could have potentially massive implications for the way we use our computers, but there are some important drawbacks as well.
Let’s break it down.
The ‘Always Connected’ bit is basically a marketing term Microsoft is using for a new batch of Windows PCs running on processors with ARM architectures – the same type of super-efficient chips on our mobile devices.
These PCs will have two primary claims to fame over the ‘x86’ type processors in current PCs: constant cellular connectivity, and ridiculously long battery life – over 20 hours on a charge. For comparison most Windows Ultrabooks are in the 12-hour range.
