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But, when I saw this equipment announced, I just couldnt help myself.
I wanted to see if this PC could be used for normal, non-developer workflows.
(Image credit: Future)
Because why shouldnt it?
Just because its designated for developers doesnt mean it cant do non-developer stuff, right?
Sadly, its not as simple as that.
(Image credit: Future)
If you are a developer building ARM apps, you should definitely pick up one of these.
With that, onto why you shouldn’t buy one to use as a main desktop PC.
Its just been so hit-and-miss for me.
Unfortunately, the Windows Dev Kit 2023 does not play nicely with HDR-capable monitors, at all.
Colors of similar hues end up appearing the same.
Left is how it should look, right is how it looks on the monitor on Volterra.
(Image credit: Future)
pic.twitter.com/NTCRB5iOxeNovember 8, 2022
Whats worse, this happens when HDR is turned off.
If I attempt to turn HDR on in Windows parameters, the toggle doesnt work at 60Hz.
But, I shouldnt have to do this.
(Image credit: Future)
None of the other PCs Ive tried with this monitor have this issue.
When HDR is off, colors are fine.
Its only the Windows Dev Kit 2023 that gives the impression of suffering from this in my testing.
A few others have reported similar issues with the Surface Pro 9 5G.
Now, if youre thinking this is just an issue with my monitor, I thought the same.
So, I tried a bunch of other monitors, HDR compatible and not.
All HDR-compatible monitors suffer from the same color issues when HDR is turned off.
And only a smattering of them were able to enable HDR at 60Hz.
If you cant, youre out of luck, unless you want to use Windows at 30Hz.
The software issues don’t end there for me, either.
And, even some apps that are supposedly compiled for Windows on ARM don’t immediately work.
Specifically, I found Adobe’s Creative Suite to simply error out when loading up.
you’re gonna wanna installthis VC Runtime first.
Another issue I have with the unit is the selection, and positioning, of some of the ports.
Specifically, I really dislike how the USB-C ports for display-out usage are on the side of the machine.
You wont even see the Windows boot screen.
Getting into nitpick territory now, but the box itself isn’t perfect either.
My unit has all these odd marks on the plastic, which came from the factory.
They can’t be cleaned off either.
And lastly, the Windows Dev Kit 2023 doesn’t come with a standard end-user warranty.
you’re able to buy the Windows Dev Kit direct from the Microsoft Store for $599 now.
There’s also a built-in NPU for AI effects and you get all that for just $599.
