Is this ARM's chance to make a major move to displace x86 now that it has a killer app to drive it (AI & ML)? Will that be enough to get developers to code more for ARM vs x86 and cause the cascade to occur, at least in the server space?
I still do not believe ARM will make major inroads in the desktop, despite Apple, as the majority of software is still made for x86. The eco system that x86 currently has will be hard for ARM to match in the near term. They don't have the same flexibility that x86 hardware currently enjoys.
Guess we'll have the next 5 or so years to see how this turns out!
I don't think anyone really
wants ARM desktops - fracturing the market, compatibility issues...
Most home users want a computer that just works, the same way their old one did.
Most businesses really don't want to deal with compatibility issues with the part of their software stack that is centuries old and just barely still runs on Windows (and they all have at least one legacy program essential to their operations - everyone does). They also don't want to pay to have their techs retrained on all of ARMs little quirks, and the support department expanded because of millions of calls from employees whose new computers are acting just different enough to make them panic.
Most enthusiasts and gamers don't want to deal with major incompatibilities with their older software and games.
Developers REALLY don't want it, because they'll have to release two versions of everything for probably at least a decade or so, which hurts just to think about.
Laptop users might think they want it, because of better battery life, but what they really mean is that they want the same exact experience that they have now, just with better battery life. At least, that's almost certainly the case for the vast majority of them, that use their laptops for work, browsing, and entertainment, with no clue and no interest in how things work actually work, or why. They still want all their software to work exactly the way it always has, no matter how ancient or obscure. They definitely don't want to have to learn anything new just because they got a new laptop.
Apple users accepted it because they will accept anything Apple does, and because they didn't have any other option; the entire Mac ecosystem moved, all at once, all together - it was that or move to Windows, and that was never going to happen. There was no fracturing the market, because Apple IS the market, and, because they have complete control, they were able to force developers to address compatibility issues ASAP.
None of those things are the case for PC.
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