Hear how it’s been developing on Windows 11 on ARM for a whole year from an actual developer who’s been using it

Hear how it's been developing on Windows 11 on ARM for a whole year from an actual developer who's been using it

As a tech enthusiast who has spent countless hours tinkering with various operating systems and hardware configurations, I can confidently say that Windows 11 on ARM is not just a viable alternative to traditional Intel or AMD processors, but it’s also a promising platform for software development.

2024 saw a significant boost for Windows 11 on ARM devices with the introduction of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus and X Elite series processors. Previously, Windows on laptops powered by Snapdragon was satisfactory at best; however, this new generation transformed it into a genuine alternative to Intel or AMD-powered systems, making it more compelling for consumers.

Instead of software development, let’s consider tasks like coding. How is Windows on ARM performing in this area? To provide insights from someone who actually works there, let’s hear from Michael Niehaus, who has written about his experience using Windows 11 on ARM for software development over the past year.

To clarify, this isn’t discussing a native implementation of Windows 11 on ARM systems, but rather running it virtually within macOS. While there are likely concerns about its capability and compatibility, overall, it appears that it’s doing well in these areas.

Regarding the performance of Windows 11 on ARM64 systems, particularly in software development that may not be intended for ARM64 architecture, it functions exceptionally well. Visual Studio on ARM64 operates smoothly without issues, and .NET’s inherent architecture-neutrality is a significant advantage. Cross-compilation for x64, MacOS, and Linux platforms is made simple due to the ease of this process. Moreover, running Windows x64 binaries is effortless because the emulation of x64 architecture is robust. In summary, Windows 11 on ARM64 performs admirably in various scenarios, even those not primarily focused on ARM64 development.

It appears that one major challenge encountered was necessitating an upgrade of the virtualization software to accommodate increased RAM usage. Furthermore, complications arose due to macOS not being compatible with nested virtualization, thereby preventing the utilization of WSL2 within the Windows 11 VM.

It appears that the main challenge for this specific developer stemmed from an issue that Microsoft must address themselves.

There was one bigger issue though: SQL Server 2022 doesn’t support ARM64. That’s a really weird omission from Microsoft that one of these days they’ll actually fix (I hope). Fortunately, you can use some third-party scripts to install it, working around issues in the SQL Server installer that would otherwise get in the way.

While we greatly appreciate Windows 11 on Snapdragon laptops, it’s crucial to acknowledge that there are broader needs out there that extend beyond our current scope. It’s reassuring to hear from someone who has hands-on experience, as they confirm that using a Windows 11 on ARM device for intensive tasks is feasible.

On your regular device as well, you can set up WSL2, a feature that I personally discovered operates smoothly on a Snapdragon X Elite laptop. However, this is only possible if you’re running a Linux distribution that has an ARM64 build.

As a tech enthusiast who can’t get enough of the latest developments, I wholeheartedly suggest diving into the entirety of this post. While it may seem that Windows has been slow on the uptake regarding ARM technology, the future is undeniably upon us now.

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2024-12-18 18:09