ProBeat: Windows 10 on ARM is exciting for all PC users, even if Always Connected PCs aren’t

Microsoft announced massive Windows 10 news this week, arguably the biggest since the operating system debuted over two years ago: Windows 10 on ARM. Three big features come with that: The screen turns on “instantly,” unlike existing PCs; LTE is built right in; and the battery can last for days. But the unveiling comes with a big caveat. These Always Connected PCs, as Microsoft and Qualcomm are calling them, from partners Asus, HP, and Lenovo, are not coming anytime soon.

The closest to launch is the Asus NovaGo, likely to arrive sometime in Q1 2018, I’m told. But it won’t even get all the features Microsoft has talked about until this spring. That’s when HP will debut its Envy x2. Lenovo is in the game, but details are even more scarce there: We know nothing about its device, let alone timing for it.