Microsoft releases trial version of Windows 10 for Raspberry Pi 2

Microsoft has released a trial version of Windows 10 for the Raspberry Pi 2. Intel’s MinnowBoard Max, a compact motherboard with an Atom CPU, is also supported. The operating system still contains some ‘rough edges’, says Microsoft.

To install the trial version of Windows 10 IoT Core, as Microsoft calls the version of the operating system for small embedded devices, a user must have a PC running Windows 10 Insider Preview. From there, the ‘IoT Core’ can be installed on an SD card, which can then be inserted into the Raspberry Pi 2 or the MinnowBoard Max.

The IoT Core version of Microsoft’s upcoming operating system is specifically designed for embedded hardware and doesn’t run the full desktop interface. Instead, users are supposed to log in to the device remotely with PowerShell and manage the system that way. Windows IoT Core can then be used, for example, to control smart devices in the home.

Microsoft recommends that users use an SD card of at least class 10 and with at least 8 gigabytes of storage to run the operating system. Moreover, users should not expect Windows 10 to work flawlessly on the small devices: the operating system still contains the necessary rough edges, but Microsoft says it wants to give users the opportunity to get started with it. A stable version will be released this summer, which will also be free to download.

In addition, Microsoft will collaborate with Arduino. The software giant releases software that allows devices running Windows 10 to be connected to an Arduino, so that, for example, the sensors of a Lumia phone can be used by the Arduino. Windows software can also be linked to an Arduino, Microsoft promises, so that the Arduino can outsource advanced tasks to a Windows 10 app.