Up until now, Microsoft only sold software for devices using x86-compatible processors. That worked out well for the last 20 years, but times are quickly changing and x86-based devices are more and more becoming a rarity. Almost all desktop PCs and notebooks still use x86 processors, but all modern devices (smartphones, tablets, media and music players etc.) are using ARM. In fact, already today about 10-20 times more ARM licenses are being sold than x86 processors.
One of the main reasons is that modern devices are battery powered, and ARM processors are significantly more energy-efficient than x86 processors will ever be. ARM processors are also cheaper and require less space and weight, because they can be included in SOC designs, where a single small chip pretty much contains everything the device needs.
Microsoft had the choice: start supporting other architectures or slowly but constantly become irrelevant. They knew the transition would be hard, because the complete lack of software for ARM-based Windows devices means that it will take several years before ARM-based Windows devices will be able to even remotely compete with the x86-based Windows devices.
But it was the right decision nevertheless. They just should have done so long ago.
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