An ARM processor is a specific type of computer processor designed according to a model developed by ARM Holdings PLC. This processor design is described as a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) design, where a simplified central processing unit (CPU) design accommodates higher performance.
Although the ARM processor is not the only example of a RISC design, it has become, in some ways, synonymous with the RISC model. An example of an ARM processor design is the engineering built into the Raspberry Pi product, a RISC machine that fits into the pocket of a user and works on 256 MB of random access memory (RAM). The philosophy behind Raspberry Pi and similar machines illustrates how ARM processors can be used to build leaner and more versatile hardware, in contrast to the more generic designs behind traditional desktop or laptop computers. In a basic sense, not every device needs all of the computing power built into these larger product offerings, and the emergence of ARM processors and similar models coincides with a transition toward smaller and more mobile devices.
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