Why 32 bit WIN32 based apps could be a boon for PB developers in the future

[Chris Boss]

While I have been hoping for a true x86 based tiny mobile device to come to market (aka. a phone or a very small phone sized tablet), Microsoft has different plans but it may yet work for PB developers. Check out the following article (see link).

Microsoft plans on adding x86 emulation for ARM based phones running a future version of Windows mobile. Yes, your PB apps should be able to run on such future Windows phones.

This creates a new market for developers who write tiny, lean and fast apps based on the WIN32 (aka. PowerBasic apps). Because such apps require minimal resources they will run much better than comparable dot.net apps. Software which is not bloatware, will have an advantage.

[Chris Boss]

Interesting article about x86 emulation (WIN32) on Windows 10 on ARM:

http://arstechnica.com/information-t...d-arm-support/


To quote:

the new Windows on ARM has a solution for that, too: as previously rumored, it will include built-in emulation for 32-bit (though oddly, not 64-bit) x86 applications

Only 32 bit x86 support! Even though the ARM CPU and OS will be 64 bit, only 32 bit WIN32 apps will be supported via emulation. That means PowerBasic is the perfect solution for building apps for the coming x86 emulation on ARM.

[Fred Harris]

Funny Chris! I read that article first, then thought of you. It sounded like something you would be interested in. Lo and behold, I came here and you read the same thing and just posted about it too!

I see it about the same as you and find it very interesting. As you might recall, I used to develop a lot of mission critical apps at work on Windows CE, which ran on ARM processors. Back in the earliest stages of Windows 8 development, when rumors about it were first circulating, the idea that Windows 8 might run on ARM processors really intrigued me. I was tremendously hopeful, because I thought it might be possible for small handheld devices to run a full version of Windows, rather than Windows CE. If that ever became the case I could develop in PowerBASIC instead of C++ for handheld applications. But you know what happened. Word eventually came out about the extreme limitations due to what MS did.

So I hope things work out better this time. Sounds like it might.

[Bern Ertl]

Interesting stuff. Thanks for sharing - I haven't been keeping up with news in this space.