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Microsoft started selling Mac Mini-like computers with ARM processors to support the design and development of Windows programs on ARM hardware. The idea was introduced by the IT giant in the first few days of May this year under the codename Project Volterra.
The gadget, known as the Windows Dev Kit 2023, is offered in eight nations: Australia, China, Canada, Germany, Japan, UK, China, France, and the United States.
The Qualcomm Neural Processing SDK and the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 computing platform power the 32 GB of RAM and 512 GB of internal storage found in the Windows Dev Kit 2023.
On the connectivity side, the device has Wi-Fi 6, an Ethernet port, three USB-A and two USB-C ports, and a Mini DisplayPort. Users can also connect up to three external monitors, including two 4K 60Hz monitors.
Microsoft also states that Microsoft Teams, Edge, Office, and OneDrive Sync will all be available in the Windows Dev Kit 2023 in their native form. The company is also working to release a full toolchain for native ARM apps, including.NET 7 improvements, and Visual Studio 2022 17.4 for native platforms already has performance upgrades. Microsoft hopes to increase the efficiency of Windows programs on ARM devices with Windows Dev Kit 2023.
Additionally, the device has a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) that enables programmers to run workloads based on AI that are hardware-accelerated, such as machine learning workloads. Microsoft is emphasizing AI with Windows 11, including features like Voice Focus that reduce background noise without taxing your CPU or GPU.