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Who will determine the future of computing?

• Darren Waters
• 15 Apr 08, 14:30 GMT

In the last few months I've spoken to senior executives at companies like , , and and I'm beginning to think that a new front in the battle for computer dominance is emerging.

Essentially there appears to be two approaches emerging - a "bottom up" approach from companies like Nokia, Symbian and ARM, who are turning mobile phones into portable computers, and a "top down" approach from the likes of Intel who believe spin offs of desktop computer chip technology can power future portable devices, including phones.

The middle ground that everyone is pitching for is the undoubted future of computing - the . In the not too distant future smartphone sales will overtake laptop sales, and in the medium term the power and capability of these phones will rival what we can do with laptops today.

But who will power these phones? Who will provide the wireless networks?

Intel dominates the desktop and laptop landscape and recently launched its - aimed squarely at the portable device market.

Intel boss Paul Otellini has talked often about - pocket computers with the power of a desktop able to give you the full internet experience wherever you are.

But he and Intel know full well that the Atom will need to dent the mobile phone market if it is to grab a slice of the emerging smartphone category.

Standing in the way of Intel is British firm ARM. At the moment ARM dominates the mobile space with about 98% of all handsets using at least one of the firm's chip designs. Six of ARM-designed chips are inside the iPhone, for example.

And the firm is soon moving to multi-core designs for its chips - significantly ramping up the power, while not sacrificing battery life.

So the big question is whether Intel has left it too late to try and crack the mobile market?

If the future of computing is determined by portable computers absorbing mobile phone functionality then Intel will probably win out.

But if mobile phone manufacturers produce devices powerful enough to rival laptops then it will probably be the likes of ARM and Nokia who will dominate.

But it's not just in chip design that the battle lines are being drawn up. These future devices will be able to move seamlessly between different wireless networks - from 3G, to Wi-Fi, and to 4G technologies like and .

And on the one side we have as the 21st Century solution to our wireless needs, while Nokia is squarely behind LTE.

In reality the two may complement each other - just as 3G and Wi-Fi are beginning to.

But given the potential of both technologies - as high-speed, relatively long-distance networks - the battle for the airwaves may be just as fraught as the battle for future of our computers.