Windows 10 1903 update received on ARM Asus Novago
When I saw this CPU support article earlier this year from Microsoft, I presumed that my original Windows on ARM device (the Asus Novago laptop running on the Snapdragon 835 ARM platform) would remain on an older version of Windows 10 and eventually drop out of support. No biggie, the price of early adoption, I thought.
Got the computer out today after a few weeks away with my Surface Laptop, and I though I'd run through a Windows Update cycle. I snickered cynically at the warning from Microsoft in Windows Update that my version of Windows 10 was going out of support soon, and that I should update it... and then was surprised to see a feature update to 1903 offered to me.
I presumed it was a bug and it would fail, but what the hell! However, it installed (slowly, natch) and my computer is now happily running on 1903, despite its processor being listed my Microsoft as not supported for that version.
Posted Sep 6, 2019, 3:36 PM UTC
I suppose Microsoft did not update the list.:)
How is the Novago holding up? I am really interested in the state of the Windows on ARM. Is it too slow/laggy or is it good for daily use?
It is really great. These devices are not as slow as has been portrayed in my experience - it runs Office (including Visio, which is definitely not compiled for ARM) like a champ, and all of the Windows internal stuff is fine. For browsing, I use the ARM beta of Firefox, but Edge is also fine if that is your bag. I think running the browser in emulation is what caused most of the reviewers to complain about the speed - but IMHO that is because of all the inefficient scripting crap in the modern web, layered on top of x86 emulation. An ARM browser fixes that. You get the occasional protracted launch of an app, but no worse than an older Atom-based machine.
The only real issue is occasionally you’ll come across a device that requires an x86 driver, or an app that is only available as an x64 binary. Those won’t work.
For me, it is the perfect travel computer - really long battery life, inbuilt LTE. They are not a good fit as a main machine, because of those compatibility issues, and I think every manufacturer has massively overpriced them - they are not worth $800-1000. I got mine as a refurb for around 40% of the new price, and that seems about the right level to me.
Thanks for the write up. How much real world battery life do you get?