
Why Microsoft's Snapdragon Windows 10 Cellular PC Is Walking Dead - terminalcommand
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4084229-microsofts-snapdragon-windows-10-cellular-pc-walking-dea
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Nomentatus
The vast majority of x86 ISA is no longer patent-encumbered. This article
assumes full emulation of every current, patent-encumbered x86 instruction so
that no applications would need to be recompliled. Do we know that's the
approach, yet? Also many instructions are designed to be replacements for
combinations of earlier (no longer patent-encumbered) instructions so;
expanding them again wouldn't usually be illegal.

~~~
terminalcommand
I've made further research into the latest news. During IFA fair (two days
ago) Qualcomm stated that Windows 10 ARM devices are coming, it seems to me
that they're not backing down from the fight. [1]

It is good news to hear that the vast majority of x86 ISA is no longer patent-
encumbered.

[1][[http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/qualcomm-
snapdragon-835-w...](http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/qualcomm-
snapdragon-835-windows-10-laptops-2950300)]

~~~
Nomentatus
More specifically, according to something a RISC-V guy wrote, Intel has kept
its (and AMD's) x86 ISA network effect alive by regularly introducing not-so-
useful new patented instructions that at least someone will use (or be
persuaded to use); so that others can't claim compatibility with the
accumulating ISA for their now-public-domain ISA CPUs. If so, that rather
requires Microsoft's connivance, since they could refuse to use any such new
instructions in their OS, and even refuse to allow programs to employ them,
theoretically. I'm blue-skying here, but I wonder if Microsoft hasn't
withdrawn that kind of cooperation a long time ago; or been able to use the
threat of doing so as a bargaining chip, here.

There is also the legal angle - Microsoft could sue on the grounds of patent
misuse re that RISC-V allegation, and hope to invalidate the current x86 IP.
Trouble is, that area of law has been deliberately allowed to fall into
contradiction and confusion over decades in the U.S.; because corporations
like to misuse patents to extend their monopolies and network effects - so I
don't know how much luck Microsoft would have (and of course, they're
vulnerable to similar accusations.)

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Zekio
wouldn't they be able to argue that since intel haven't sued companies like
[https://eltechs.com/](https://eltechs.com/) they havn't tried to protect
their IP?

