[babypuncher]

Even if that happens, I'm not sure how much appeal an ARM version of Windows actually has. Right now, the only things keeping me on Windows are Visual Studio and my huge library of legacy software (ahem video games). Microsoft's x86 emulation on ARM is downright atrocious. A native ARM version of Visual Studio could keep me productive, but I'm not about to spend money on a new computer than runs all my favorite old games noticeably worse than my current machine.

If I buy an ARM machine any time in the next 5 years, it will almost certainly run macOS or Linux, with Windows relegated to an x86 box that I use for gaming.

[nick_]

I've got my eyes on the ARM64 build of full Visual Studio coming in "the next few weeks".

https://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2022/05/27/news-ro...

I've been using VS 2022 on "Windows 11 for ARM" inside Parallels Desktop on my M1 Max MBP, and it's just barely usable as VS 2022 is 64-bit. JetBrains Rider is pretty good on macOS, and "VS 2022 for Mac" is coming along now, but full VS would be nice.

[Macha]

Microsoft has made three seperate attempts at windows on ARM (Windows RT, Windows 10 for ARM, Windows 10 S). Whether because each attempt produced a more locked down platform than standard windows, or because people prefer compatibility with their existing software over battery life, or because non-M1 ARM chips were not competitive with Intel/AMD even before emulation overhead, none of these attempts took off

[lynguist]

The full Windows 10 runs on ARM64 since 2017. See here for all architectures of Windows. [1]

And the deal is that current ARM processors have higher IPC than even the latest Intel and AMD processors and are much more diverse. The biggest ARM CPUs have 128 cores that have higher multi-threaded performance than any CPU by Intel/AMD and a Cortex-X2 has higher IPC than any Intel/AMD.

1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Microsoft_Windows_vers...

[Shorel]

True, at that point Linux becomes very competitive.

[skohan]

How is the Linux on Arm situation currently? I mean specifically for desktop Linux?

[lynguist]

Pretty much every distribution and software package is available in ARM64. You will not miss anything.

[kube-system]

I think the popularity of the Raspberry Pi has sorted out most desktop use-cases.

[sliken]

Asahi linux has a port for the M1. Accelerated 3d isn't supported yet, but recently his a milestone of a working rendered triangle.

So not yet, but seems pretty close. Marcan has a Patreon if you want to support it.

[skohan]

Is it actually supported to run Asahi linux on an M-series mac? Or is it kind of a sketchy jailbreak type situation?

[sliken]

Yes, fully supported. No jailbrake/security attack required. In fact Apple even fixed bugs in the bootloader that Asahi linux found. They seem to be intentionally enabling other OSs.

[skohan]

Awesome! But I understand the bootloader is still locked down on iPad, even though it's the same SOC, correct?