The announcement of the new Raspberry Pi 2 was particularly interesting for me as the Raspberry Pi foundation and Microsoft said that it would run Windows 10 via its Internet of Things program (and be free for makers).

In the announcements Microsoft didn’t go into specifics as to what you could actually do with Windows on a Raspberry Pi 2, could it run apps? Would you get the full Windows experience? As with many topics Microsoft’s Scott Hanseman’s blog has some answers. The Raspberry Pi 2 will run Windows 10 but as an app engine and without a shell, this means you are not going to plug a monitor into it and get the familiar Windows desktop and then start using it to run Microsoft Office. What it will be able to do is run Windows universal apps, so developers can write an app that works on devices like a Surface Pro 3, Windows Phone and now a Raspberry Pi 2. You could have the Pi as dedicated device that is powered by Windows 10 running apps like Plex, Media Browser or a sensor apps collecting data. It certainly is another reason for developers to work on Universal apps, I wait to try one out.

Leave a Reply