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Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi Forum Why do we not see Windows for the Raspberry Pi? Well it may have been due to licensing.
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  • windows on raspberry pi
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Why do we not see Windows for the Raspberry Pi? Well it may have been due to licensing.

cstanton
cstanton over 1 year ago

Beyond the IoT Core version, perhaps it has to do with an exclusivity deal with Microsoft and Qualcomm since the Raspberry Pi runs an Arm-based processor.

This isn't explicitly a new article, it was published in 2021, but since there's no explicit date on when that deal will or has, or if it'll expire, perhaps we should now start seeing the fruits of that deal expiring.

An excerpt from the article:

"Last week, we reported that MediaTek is planning to build a chipset for Windows on ARM. As it turns out, the Windows on ARM chipset space could be even hotter than that, because there's a reason that we've only seen Qualcomm SoCs in ARM PCs so far. Qualcomm actually has an exclusivity deal with Microsoft for Windows on ARM, and speaking with people familiar with it, we've learned that the deal is set to expire soon.

Other than the fact that Microsoft has publicly said that anyone who wants to can build a Windows on ARM chip, this really shouldn't come as a surprise. Qualcomm didn't just start building PC chips hoping that Microsoft would compile Windows to support it. No, these two companies worked together to make it happen. Because of that, Qualcomm gets to enjoy a bit of exclusivity.

One thing I wasn't able to learn is when the deal will expire, only that it's the thing holding back other chip vendors from competing in the space. It's possible that Samsung might want to throw its hat into the ring with its Exynos processors too, especially given its recent partnership with AMD for graphics power. This is also presumably why Apple Silicon Macs aren't officially supported for running Windows 11, so hopefully that will change as well."

Anecdotes from Reddit claim that the deal will be ending sometime in 2024, and Arm CEO has allegedly confirmed it will be by the start of 2025, which explains for the further development by AMD and NVIDIA working on their own Arm chips for Windows.

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  • dougw
    dougw over 1 year ago

    I think Windows on ARM is a good thing. The competition will be healthy. Linux developers and enthusiasts won't likely switch but they may need to step up their game. MS may need to provide better pricing and maybe more efficient code. It is all good. Intel won't be happy, they might need a new game plan. If MS bought Qualcomm, where would that leave Intel? (not that it is likely happen) Apple and Google won't like Windows on ARM but hopefully they don't do things that are bad for consumers in response.

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  • Jan Cumps
    Jan Cumps over 1 year ago in reply to dougw
    dougw said:
    I think Windows on ARM is a good thing. The competition will be healthy.

    I'd agree with you there. And with Fred27. Unlike Fred, I've been moving jobs back and forth between Windows and Linux (and Unix, and Netware once in the day). Choice helps. And being able to switch and be able to work well on the platforms helps too.

    Maybe there will be a day where even headless Windows is becoming popular on devices?

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  • Jan Cumps
    Jan Cumps over 1 year ago in reply to dougw
    dougw said:
    I think Windows on ARM is a good thing. The competition will be healthy.

    I'd agree with you there. And with Fred27. Unlike Fred, I've been moving jobs back and forth between Windows and Linux (and Unix, and Netware once in the day). Choice helps. And being able to switch and be able to work well on the platforms helps too.

    Maybe there will be a day where even headless Windows is becoming popular on devices?

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