Late last year, Microsoft announced the release of the Windows Dev Kit 2023, billed as "a device built by developers and built for developers." More specifically, it is an ARM architecture mini-PC that comes with the aim of increasing the number of applications and boosting the Windows platform on ARM.
It should be noted that ARM processors for PCs it is not a new idea. It was attempted a decade ago using as a testing ground the Surface RT tablet, but it did not work (at the time there was talk of a volume of losses close to 900 million dollars). Now Microsoft tries again and, apparently, with greater guarantees of success.
At this point it is worth remembering what exactly is an ARM processor and why it is different from the traditional x86 64 architecture of PCs.
Until now, ARM processors were only used in mobile devices, since their low consumption and limited power did not require a cooling system like the one needed, for example, in a PC. They have a less complex structure and require fewer transistors on the chip to function, so they are cheaper to manufacture.
Therefore, the challenge of implementing ARM in Windows it's complicated. The problems it raises seem insurmountable: failures in general performance and the impossibility of executing Win32 applications, which are the majority in Windows, with minimally acceptable conditions.
Following the path of Apple
And yet, at the same time, it is an ambitious project. To achieve this, it would be an important step. Maybe Windows Dev Kit 2023 is the tool that will make the difference.
The optimism of the creators of Windows Dev Kit 2023 is paradoxically based on the successes of the competition. Those things sometimes happen in the world of business and innovation. At the time, Apple decidedly bet on ARM and thus the first iPads manufactured with this type of processors arrived. From then until today, the business has not been bad for them. It seems that they bet and won. At this time, the Cupertino company has set a maximum period of three years for all its new devices to incorporate this model of processors.
One of Apple's strengths is that it does not present the degree of fragmentation that other platforms such as Android or Windows do suffer from. The fact of being able to optimize the MacOS operating system on any architecture is a notable advantage. Against this, the Windows ecosystem presented a lot of complexities: too many different manufacturers, as well as a huge number of peripherals, accessories and applications to support.
Hence the importance of the news. The Windows Dev Kit 2023 could be what Microsoft needed to follow in Apple's footsteps: the simpler the better. Of course, although a very big step has been taken, now comes the most important part: demonstrating that this is a useful tool and that it will work as it should.
Windows Dev Kit 2023 Details
In May 2022, during the BUILD event, Microsoft already announced the upcoming release of Windows Dev Kit 2023 under the name of «Volterra Project», although this would not see the light until October. Initially, the kit was made available to developers in 8 countries: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Physically, we are talking about a mini-PC (the first marketed by Microsoft) based on the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 SoC, with compact dimensions of 196 x 152 x 27,6 mm and a weight of 960 g.
Due to its similarities with the Mac Mini, it cannot be ruled out that in the future we will all be able to purchase the Windows Dev Kit for our own consumption and use it normally at home.
This device has 32 GB of RAM and 512 GB of fast storage and a diverse array of ports: built-in Wi-Fi 6, physical ethernet, 3x USB-A and 2x USB-C, plus a Mini Display port. It also allows you to control up to 3 external monitors simultaneously.
Although the main objective of this kit is to offer developers a simplified development process for ARM, it also gives us other interesting possibilities such as incorporating Enhanced AI experiences in apps powered by NPU (Neural Processing Unit). Everything, of course, without compromising their performance.
As distant as it may seem to us now, the truth is that more and more companies are optimizing their applications for ARM. Without going any further, Spotify, Adobe Photoshop, Zoom or Microsoft Office already have native solutions for ARM. Everything indicates that in the coming months or years it will have become widespread.
Price and Availability
At the moment, the Windows Dev Kit 2023 has gone on sale for a price of U.S. dollar 599. It can be purchased directly from the Microsoft Store, although it is not available worldwide. It seems that the developers in Spain will still have to wait a little longer to have it.