One of the main stumbling blocks for Windows 10 ARM developers was the issue of teams. It meant having to buy very expensive equipment such as the Surface Pro X that has an initial cost of 899 dollars / euros. But, this same year the first Windows development team on ARM was announced. The goal is none other than to lower the barrier to entry for developers and provide an affordable but capable team. The new ECS Liva Mini Box QC710 Desktop, is a small PC based on Snapdragon that is now available for $ 219 in the Microsoft Store.
First ARM development hardware hits the Microsoft Store
The QC710 is powered by the Snapdragon 7c (Qualcomm’s SC7180) this is the first generation instead of the second generation chip that was announced this year. It also comes with 4GB of memory and 64GB of storage, as well as various expansion ports including USB 2.0 Type-A, HDMI, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, USB Type-C, and a microSD slot.
In other words, this not a high-end team which will replace a Mac Mini or other desktop computer. It is specifically intended for developers to test ARM64 applications at an affordable price (applications that consumers could, of course, run on more powerful devices like Surface Pro X). Portability is also guaranteed with a weight of 226 grams.
The reality is that there are very few ARM-based Windows and ChromeOS devices. The Snapdragon 7c can be found in Samsung’s Galaxy Book Go. But app compatibility is still a gamble, which is a barrier for many potential buyers. Microsoft and Qualcomm they certainly hope that the availability of a $ 219 development kit will facilitate the development of an ecosystem of Arm64-compatible applications, although whether that will come to fruition remains to be seen.