“Project Volterra” review: Microsoft’s $600 Arm PC that almost doesn’t suck

It's undeniably good for the Arm Windows app ecosystem to have a viable, decently specced PC that is usable as an everyday computer. The Dev Kit 2023 is priced to move, so there may be some developers who buy one just for the hell of it, which might have some positive trickle-down effects for the rest of the ecosystem.

Because eventually, the Windows-on-Arm project will need to develop some tangible benefit for the people who choose to use it. What you're getting with an Arm Windows device right now is essentially the worst of both x86 and Arm-compatibility problems without lower power use and heat to offset them and so-so performance to boot. Apple has cracked all three of these things; Windows and Qualcomm are struggling to do any of them.

I'm just not entirely sure who Windows on ARM is supposed to be for. I want it to succeed - the more choice the better, and x86 needs an ass-kicking - but I don't think the current crop of Windows on ARM devices are even remotely worth it. Either Qualcomm finally gets its act together and comes up with an SoC to rival Apple's M series, or Microsoft takes matters into its own hands.

Either way, they're going to need to do something about the performance of x86 code on Windows on ARM.