Windows 10 IoT Core releases to Raspberry Pi, MinnowBoard Max

By Gabe Carey August 10, 2015

Internet of Things — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Windows 10 has been available for nearly two weeks now on PCs and tablets, but what if you want to run a version of the operating system on your toaster?

That’s the question Microsoft has been trying to answer since it first revealed its Internet of Things Windows 10 Preview earlier this year, and now we’re one step closer to that dystopian reality thanks to the release of Windows 10 IoT for the Raspberry Pi 2 and MinnowBoard Max.

For those not in the know, Raspberry Pi is a $35 computer resembling the size of a credit card, mainly used by educators and developers. MinnowBoard Max, on the other hand starts at $99, but bears better customization options and a 64-bit Atom processor, again, mostly focused on developers.

The arrival of IoT Core on these devices means developers can acquire the tools to start making apps via the Windows IoT Dev Center. Doing so, however, requires a device running the launch day version of Windows 10 for desktop (build 10240) as well as the most recent edition of Visual Studio.

Developing for Windows 10 IoT differs dramatically from other variants of the OS. For instance, many of the devices that support IoT Core don’t possess displays, so you could be developing for an air hockey table or an air conditioning unit.

Microsoft says developers can “write a Universal Windows app that is the interface and ‘personality’ for your device.” The platform is designed to be relatively easy for developers to navigate, even when creating apps for “professional grade devices.”

With this version in particular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are now supported, clearly an improvement for those looking to devise software for smart devices.

Additionally, Microsoft boasts improved support for programming languages Python and Node.js, better GPIO performance support on the Raspberry Pi 2, and more clear-cut control over system features such as time zone and network connections.

Geared mostly toward engineers, more information about this release has been outlined by Microsoft in a recent blog post.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

A freelancer for Digital Trends, Gabe Carey has been covering the intersection of video games and technology since he was 16…

Computing

The HP Victus gaming PC with RTX 3060 has a $550 discount

The HP Victus 15L gaming PC in white.

Gamers don't need to spend more than $1,000 if they want to buy a new gaming PC because there are affordable options like the HP Victus 15L gaming desktop. From its original price of $1,400, you can get it for just $850 as HP has applied a $550 discount on this machine. However, you shouldn't delay your purchase because there's no assurance that the gaming PC will still be 39% off tomorrow. If you want to make sure that you get it for less than $1,000, you're going to have to complete the transaction for it within the day.

Why you should buy the HP Victus 15L gaming desktop
You shouldn't expect the HP Victus 15L gaming desktop to match the performance of the top-of-the-line models of the best gaming PCs, but it's surprisingly powerful for its cost. Inside it are the 13th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card, with 16GB of RAM that our guide on how much RAM do you need says is the best place to start for gaming. It's enough to play today's best PC games without any issues, and it may even be capable of running the upcoming PC games of the next few years if you're willing to dial down the settings for the more demanding titles.

Computing

This 17-inch HP laptop is on sale for just $300 — but hurry!

The HP 17t-cn300 17.3-inch laptop against a white background.

If you want to buy a laptop with a relatively large screen, the good news is that you don't have to break the bank with your purchase because you can get the HP Laptop 17t for a very affordable $300. It's on sale from HP with a $200 discount on its original price of $500, but there's no telling how much time is remaining before this offer expires. We don't think it will stay available for long because laptop deals like this almost always get sold out quickly, so complete the transaction as soon as possible to make sure that you don't miss out on the savings.

Why you should buy the HP Laptop 17t
With the 17.3-inch display of the HP Laptop 17t, you'll have a lot of screen real estate to work on your projects and watch streaming shows. It's pretty affordable for a laptop with this large screen, which offers HD+ resolution for sharp details and vibrant colors. However, despite its big display, the HP Laptop 17t maintains portability because it's only 0.78 of an inch thick, which makes it easy to slide into your bag when you're on the go, and it won't be too heavy to carry around because it only weighs about 4.6 pounds.

Computing

What to do if your Intel CPU keeps crashing

Pins on Core i9-12900K.

Despite being among the best processors you can buy, some high-end Intel CPUs have faced a wave of instability over the past few months. Intel is investigating the problem, but the company and its motherboard partners have already worked toward some temporary fixes to improve stability on high-end Intel CPUs -- even if it comes at a performance cost.

Before getting into the fixes, keep in mind that they are temporary. Intel will release a statement on the instability soon, likely with more direct guidance on what affected users should do. In addition, the scope of the problem isn't clear -- if you're not experiencing issues, you shouldn't have anything to worry about.
Who's affected