XDA: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Developer Kit lets you test Windows on ARM apps for $219

dimanche 14 novembre 2021

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Developer Kit lets you test Windows on ARM apps for $219

Ahead of Microsoft’s Build developer conference back in May, Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon Developer Kit. The idea was to give developers a way to test out their Windows on ARM apps without costing an arm and a leg (pun intended).

Now, it’s finally available in the form of the ECS LIVA Mini Box QC710. The product seems to come with the first-generation Snapdragon 7c, instead of the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 that was promised, not that there’s much of a difference between the two. It also has 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage, shipping with Windows 10 Home instead of Windows 11, although you can upgrade for free.

For ports, there’s one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, one USB 2.0 Type-A port, HDMI, Ethernet, and there’s a USB Type-C port for charging.

“We have a proud history of creating helpful developer tools in coordination with Microsoft, and the Snapdragon Developer Kit is the latest outcome of that collaboration,” said Qualcomm’s Miguel Nunes back in May. “This developer kit provides an affordable alternative to other consumer and commercial devices. With the smaller desktop configuration, this kit gives developers more flexibility than notebook options, and at a lower price point. We remain committed to helping developers address requests from customers, while reducing the overall cost of deployment.”

Obviously, this isn’t meant to be a high-end rig. It’s meant to allow developers to test apps, and do it cheaply. It’s not even meant to allow you to build apps, especially since it lacks the 64-bit emulation that you’ll get if you upgrade it to Windows 11.

This whole package comes in at $219, which is about as inexpensive as it gets. The Snapdragon Developer Kit weighs in at around half a pound, and it has a compact, fanless design, making it easy to carry around with you.

One thing that the store listing doesn’t mention is pre-loaded software. When it was announced, the Snapdragon Developer Kit was going to come with .NET 5.0, Visual Studio Code, FFMPEG, LLVM, Chromium, Wix, and more. Of course, you can download those things.