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So, Microsoft finally solved the Windows on ARM puzzle. Did it take them more than five years to write an x86 emulator, or did they only decide to try this aft

So, Microsoft finally solved the Windows on ARM puzzle. Did it take them more than five years to write an x86 emulator, or did they only decide to try this after Windows RT had failed?

tracker1 10y ago
I don't consider RT a failure itself... I think the failure was in ignoring legacy application environments and not having dev platforms available for testing/targeting windows rt ahead of time as a .Net build target. If they'd supported a dev box (something like a beefy rpi3 with 2-4gb of ram, and ssd support) and sold that early for developers with windows rt a year ahead of the tablet/convertibles it would have gone much smoother. They also should have pushed the .Net Core much sooner, and it should still be a bit further along than it is at this point. I do think it will get there though. The real question is will someone beat them to the punch. I think ChromeOS and the Chromebooks are proof that this level of device is good enough for a lot of people and being able to dock a phone for a platform OS for most people is probably good enough hardware wise at this point. It's just that MS has always fallen short when it comes to quality control and polish.
- my123 10y ago
  RT has a considerable recompiled software collection right now, it's a bit too late now though, and it requires SecureBoot unlocking to be used.
reitzensteinm 10y ago
On a Microsoft scale, it's always been trivial to write, I think it has a lot more to do with the gap in phone vs laptop performance shrinking significantly. Mainly because laptops have been stagnant. Using any kind of desktop software on a 2011 mobile phone would have been horrible, even if the ARM translation were free.
- TazeTSchnitzel 10y ago
  That's true, but Windows RT was for tablets. Could a 2012 Windows RT tablet have run x86 software passably? I think maybe it could have, but the problem was that Microsoft believed the Windows Store and Metro was the future.
- gsnedders 10y ago
  Doing it well while either obtaining patent licenses or avoiding patents, however, could make it non-trivial.
AWildDHHAppears 10y ago
You can already run Windows 10 on the new RasbperryPi. They've solved this problem a while ago.
my123 10y ago
The x86 emulator idea was first tried in 2010 with Drawbridge on Experiment 19.

So, Microsoft finally solved the Windows on ARM puzzle. Did it take them more than five years to write an x86 emulator, or did they only decide to try this after Windows RT had failed?

tracker1 10y ago

I don't consider RT a failure itself... I think the failure was in ignoring legacy application environments and not having dev platforms available for testing/targeting windows rt ahead of time as a .Net build target. If they'd supported a dev box (something like a beefy rpi3 with 2-4gb of ram, and ssd support) and sold that early for developers with windows rt a year ahead of the tablet/convertibles it would have gone much smoother. They also should have pushed the .Net Core much sooner, and it should still be a bit further along than it is at this point. I do think it will get there though. The real question is will someone beat them to the punch. I think ChromeOS and the Chromebooks are proof that this level of device is good enough for a lot of people and being able to dock a phone for a platform OS for most people is probably good enough hardware wise at this point. It's just that MS has always fallen short when it comes to quality control and polish.

my123 10y ago
RT has a considerable recompiled software collection right now, it's a bit too late now though, and it requires SecureBoot unlocking to be used.

reitzensteinm 10y ago

On a Microsoft scale, it's always been trivial to write, I think it has a lot more to do with the gap in phone vs laptop performance shrinking significantly. Mainly because laptops have been stagnant. Using any kind of desktop software on a 2011 mobile phone would have been horrible, even if the ARM translation were free.

TazeTSchnitzel 10y ago
That's true, but Windows RT was for tablets. Could a 2012 Windows RT tablet have run x86 software passably? I think maybe it could have, but the problem was that Microsoft believed the Windows Store and Metro was the future.
gsnedders 10y ago
Doing it well while either obtaining patent licenses or avoiding patents, however, could make it non-trivial.

AWildDHHAppears 10y ago

You can already run Windows 10 on the new RasbperryPi. They've solved this problem a while ago.

my123 10y ago

The x86 emulator idea was first tried in 2010 with Drawbridge on Experiment 19.