I usually avoid getting into debates and tend to skip opinions that are presented as expert advice without substantial backing. The internet is full of self-proclaimed experts, and it’s easy to get misled.
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In today’s world, laptops are not the major investment they once were, especially for those whose work depends on them or who spend a lot of time using them.
Laptops are still a major investment as they once were, and they always would be. While it's true that many people replace smartphones frequently, it's important to recognize that laptops serve a fundamentally different purpose. They are often essential tools for productivity, education, and creative work, with a lifespan and utility that typically extend far beyond that of a smartphone. A well-maintained laptop can last for several years, making it a significant long-term investment. The comparison between the two isn't quite fair, as the value and return on investment from a good laptop often far exceed the annual upgrades of a smartphone.
As for compatibility, I didn’t say anyone was wrong. However, for the average user, compatibility issues with specialized tools are rare. Those who need such tools usually know about these potential issues.
Do you know when the first ARM-based Windows laptop was released? 12 years ago! How many yearly releases of ARM-based Windows laptops do you see every year? And what's their market share? Find out.
While it's true that compatibility has improved for ARM-based Windows systems in the recent years, there are still significant challenges that affect both average users and professionals:
1. Software compatibility: Many applications, especially legacy software and specialized tools, are not optimized for ARM architecture. Sure, most popular apps are compatible with ARM-64 now, and he can use his favourite word processing software without issues, but what if he wants to use an application but finds it incompatible with it? Even many popular VPN apps still have compatibility issues with the ARM-64 architecture on Windows, and this even includes NordVPN. Even Chrome added native ARM support for Windows this year.
2. Driver issues: Printer and peripheral compatibility still remains a major problem. Many hardware manufacturers have been slow to develop ARM-64 drivers, leading to functionality issues or complete incompatibility. In fact, printing has always been a major issue with them, as ARM printer drivers are exceptionally rare.
3. Developer reluctance: Despite Microsoft's efforts, many developers are hesitant to invest resources in porting their applications to ARM. This reluctance creates a chicken-and-egg problem, slowing widespread adoption.
4. Performance overhead: While Windows can run x86 applications through emulation, this often results in reduced performance and increased battery consumption, negating some of the benefits of ARM processors.
5. Gaming limitations: Many popular games, particularly developed in the last decade still have compatibility issues with ARM-64 systems. For instance, GTA V, which still gets minor bug-fix updates from Rockstar, but have never added support for ARM-64 architecture.
6. Virtual machine challenges: Running x86-based virtual machines on ARM Windows is either impossible or comes with significant performance penalties.
Microsoft’s commitment to Snapdragon laptops means compatibility and stability will continue to improve.
This "commitment" means nothing unless more developers make their apps compatible with the ARM-64 architecture. And there's only one way to achieve that: to release more laptops with affordable prices to increase the market adoption.
X86 is a stable platform on which Microsoft and third-party developers have contributed for over three decades to make it a more "mature" environment. While I'm not denying the fact that ARM-64 is a bad architecture—it is in fact a promising architecture and its future is promising as well, but it's not the right fit for you if the above points I mentioned sound bothersome to you.
Sometimes, having too much information can be more confusing than helpful, even if it's shared with good intentions.
My point is, you should take every opinion and decide what's good for you. If any of it doesn't concern you, go ahead and buy it. I have told whatever one needs to know before making an informed decision. And stop demeaning people unless you have valid arguments. Peace out.