“Always Connected” Windows on ARM machines coming this quarter

total, 14 different network operators across 10 countries have pledged to support the new generation of ARM-powered Windows 10 laptops and tablets. Qualcomm adds that some of those network operators will also be selling the systems, though it has not specified which will be doing so.

Initially, three systems will be available. HP's Envy x2 is a tablet with detachable keyboard, as is Lenovo's Miix 630. Asus' NovaGo, in contrast, is a clamshell laptop with a 360-degree hinge to enable tablet-like operation.

Qualcomm has also listed a number of retail outlets that will carry the hardware. In the US, systems will be available from Amazon and Microsoft Stores. Surprisingly, Best Buy—arguably the most important brick-and-mortar computer retailer in the US—isn't included in Qualcomm's list. If this absence is accurate, then it represents a major gap in the retail visibility and availability of the new range of systems.

Qualcomm also says that retail availability will begin "this calendar quarter," meaning that Windows 10 on ARM will be hitting shelves, or at least the webpages of online vendors, sooner rather than later.