3 ms·

It's not a PC in the very important "just boots Windows and runs my existing software" respect. That is what the overwhelming majority of purchasers in the "des

by pm215 4y ago

It's not a PC in the very important "just boots Windows and runs my existing software" respect. That is what the overwhelming majority of purchasers in the "desktop PC box" market have as an absolute non-negotiable requirement. If you are not an x86 PC compatible, then you're in the really small niche. You could in theory, yes, do a PC-mobo form factor SBC. But no PCI, no SATA, no external DRAM: it doesn't look very much like a PC even if you've stuck it in a PC case...

throwaway894345 4y ago
Eh, that's a transient concern. Seems like M1 is going to force the entire ecosystem to support ARM sooner or later (laptop manufacturers are going to start supporting ARM to keep up with Apple, and the software will have to follow suit). Windows and Office already support ARM. > But no PCI, no SATA, no external DRAM Why not? Do mobile ARM chips not support those things? I know the RPI compute modules have PCIe.
- djur 4y ago
  Whether or not it's a transient concern, manufacturers operate in the market that currently exists, not the one that may exist in the future, and the market that currently exists doesn't include a lot of demand for non-Apple ARM PCs.
  - throwaway894345 4y ago
    I’m asking why the market is as it is, and you’re effectively answering with “because it is”.
wyldfire 4y ago
Windows runs fine on at least a few ARM SoCs and I'm sure most have no SATA. Maybe some have PCIe or at least NVMe. BTW, they were available commercially prior to M1 Macbooks. The vast, vast majority of software written for Windows doesn't care about those buses. And emulation allows for the x86 programs to run without being rebuilt. Windows' biggest drawback in this regard is that hobbyist/enthusiasts generally can't add support for any-old-board. You've got to be a vendor who is willing to get in touch with Microsoft to make it happen.

by pm215 4y ago

throwaway894345 4y ago

Eh, that's a transient concern. Seems like M1 is going to force the entire ecosystem to support ARM sooner or later (laptop manufacturers are going to start supporting ARM to keep up with Apple, and the software will have to follow suit). Windows and Office already support ARM. > But no PCI, no SATA, no external DRAM Why not? Do mobile ARM chips not support those things? I know the RPI compute modules have PCIe.

djur 4y ago
Whether or not it's a transient concern, manufacturers operate in the market that currently exists, not the one that may exist in the future, and the market that currently exists doesn't include a lot of demand for non-Apple ARM PCs.
- throwaway894345 4y ago
  I’m asking why the market is as it is, and you’re effectively answering with “because it is”.

wyldfire 4y ago

Windows runs fine on at least a few ARM SoCs and I'm sure most have no SATA. Maybe some have PCIe or at least NVMe. BTW, they were available commercially prior to M1 Macbooks. The vast, vast majority of software written for Windows doesn't care about those buses. And emulation allows for the x86 programs to run without being rebuilt. Windows' biggest drawback in this regard is that hobbyist/enthusiasts generally can't add support for any-old-board. You've got to be a vendor who is willing to get in touch with Microsoft to make it happen.