MICROSOFT IS BETTING ON AI TO ATTRACT DEVELOPERS TO USE ARM-BASED WINDOWS

As Microsoft and its partners roll out AI-powered Copilot+ PCs, developers must weigh the potential of developing on Windows on Arm.

译自 Microsoft Bets on AI to Lure Devs to Windows on Arm，作者 Darryl K Taft。

Microsoft's AI-powered Copilot+ PC platform supports Windows-based Arm devices, will it be the "killer app" for developers to use ARM-based Windows?

Maybe. Although some people think that it may just be a trick or to attract more developers to pay attention to Microsoft's shining points. In fact, Microsoft and its PC partners have struggled to attract developers – and customers in general – to use ARM-based Windows for more than a decade.

Perhaps a better way to look at the situation is a variation of the "Land of Dreams" theme. If Microsoft builds it, will they come? Well, Microsoft built it. Now, will the developers come?

"It's a tricky trap...... If you don't have a lot of customer requirements, you can't convert all your applications to ARM, and if you don't have the machines to run the applications they need, you can't get customers," longtime Microsoft MVP Richard Campbell told The New Stack.

"I see Copilot's strategy as a workaround," Campbell adds. "Microsoft has tried to sell ARM-based Windows before, but it didn't work out well. So maybe Copilot is the secret to building a successful ARM product? ”

To be fair, there are more and more ARM-based native Windows applications available these days. But are they enough to convince developers that this is a good platform? It's not clear.

Copilot+ 和 SoC

Microsoft unveiled Copilot+ at last month's Build developer conference, and the PCs are starting this month from Microsoft and its partners, including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung, with prices starting at $1,000.

ARM-based Windows devices run on Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon X-series processors. The Snapdragon X is a system-on-chip (SoC) family that offers powerful CPU performance, on-device AI inference, and more. The Snapdragon X Elite is an ARM64 SoC. In addition, the Copilot+ PC is equipped with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), capable of delivering more than 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS). The company says the new PC delivers 20x better performance and 100x more efficiency when running AI workloads than traditional PCs.

There's no denying that the new Snapdragon SoC is impressive, in part because its NPU has such high performance. As a result, various Copilots should be able to perform well on this hardware. In addition, Campbell says the promise of long battery life is also an appeal.

Rockford Lhotka, VP of Strategy at Xebia and another long-time Microsoft MVP, said he was cautiously optimistic about the new hardware and OS features, but he wanted to give it a try. "I'm really looking forward to seeing if the battery life is really what it seems. I love my Surface devices, but battery life has always been a serious challenge," he says.

Huge potential

However, some Microsoft developers see the potential for Copilot+ and AI use cases.

"AI can be the killer app for ARM-based Windows, driving adoption and developer interest," said Vasil Buraliev, program manager and software development consultant at VBU Consulting. "The combination of performance benefits, native optimization, and strategic ecosystem development can make ARM-based Windows a leading platform for AI innovation."

In addition, he noted that Microsoft has "consistently demonstrated its ability to reach the top in any strategic initiative, whether it takes a year, five years, or ten years," he said.

Copilot runtime

Microsoft brought the Copilot stack to Windows and launched the Windows Copilot runtime, bringing AI to all levels of Windows. The Windows Copilot runtime includes the Windows Copilot Library, a set of APIs powered by more than 40 on-device AI models that come with Windows. Microsoft says it also includes an AI framework and toolchain to help developers bring their own on-device models to Windows.

Memories recalled?

In addition, the company has introduced Windows Semantic Indexing, a new operating system feature that enhances search capabilities on Windows and powers new experiences, such as the new Recall feature. "With Recall, in preview starting June 18, you can access almost everything you've seen or done on your PC in a way that's similar to having a photographic memory," said Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft's executive vice president and consumer chief marketing officer, in a blog post.

However, Recall hit a roadblock and has been postponed. Pavan Davuluri, vice president of Microsoft's Windows+ devices division, said in a blog post that the Recall preview will be released "in the coming weeks."

"Today, we're sharing updates on the Recall (Preview) feature for Copilot+ PCs, including more information about the setup experience, privacy controls, and our approach to security," his article reads. ”

Attractive dark circles?

The Recall event was a black spot for Microsoft, as the company highlighted it at its launch event. They wanted Recall to be a showcase app for these Copilot+/Windows on Arm PCs, but now it's scaring some away, analysts noted.

However, the promise of the Recall feature is still attractive to developers.

"As far as AI and NPU are concerned, it would be a game-changer if Windows could reliably search, find, and aggregate my content across on-premises devices and OneDrive," says Lhotka.

Tough start

Indeed, while the on-chip AI-accelerated trend is currently playing out across the market, with major players struggling to deliver on-device AI services in smaller and smaller footprints, "Microsoft's current implementations, such as Copilot+ PC, have had a relatively tough start compared to Google's earlier work, which equipped its phones with essential AI features, such as the Magic Eraser in its Photos app," Omdia analyst Brad Shimmin told The New Stack。

In addition, "Microsoft's more aggressive, system-wide approach, such as Recall, simply calls into question the company's ability to deliver AI services in a secure manner," Shimmin argues. "I'm confident that the company and its hardware partners will eventually find a better balance between capabilities and privacy, for example, but for now, the company has barely really 'wowed' its vast ecosystem of software developers, especially those who are sensitive to privacy issues."

Long-term gaming?

At the same time, AI gaming may not be Microsoft's killer app, but part of a larger strategy.

Intellyx analyst Jason Bloomberg told The New Stack: "Windows on Arm is a constant battle. "Today, developers who write code for platforms like the Microsoft Surface are taking advantage of this technology, but in general, Windows on Arm lacks the broad ecosystem that makes it competitive with the more popular Arm operating system. However, this weakness is more of a temporary symptom of Microsoft's long-term game than a flaw in its strategy. ”