The way I see it being able to run full WIndows 10 on an ARM chipset makes sense only with Continuum. When you have your smartphone (correction: device) connected to a monitor and a keyboard and a mouse yes it makes a huge advantage to be able to run Win32 app on that device. But running Win32 apps on a 5 or 6 inches display?... I don't think anybody will want to do that. And lets not forget the fact that Continuum dock didn't sell well. I, for one, I'm not attracted by the idea of buying myself a monitor just to be able to use my new device at its full power. I already have a laptop. So without UWP applications, this device that requires a dock and a monitor to unleash its full power I don't think will appeal many of the laptop/desktop owners.
Would a person who doesn't own a computer buy a device that can make phone calls and also act as a computer if you buy additionally a dock, a monitor, a keyboard and a mouse? I wouldn't bet on that. Maybe that person would simply buy a powerful laptop and some medium-range Android.
Fair comment, and for many win32 apps this is an issue. I use my windows 10 tablet all the time, and not everything works. This will be moreso on a small screen.
These are all totally fair points!
But not all win32 apps.
Some win32 apps are scalable, and touch optimised. Two immediate examples for tablets are fruity loops, and trine 2. Both win32, both work great touch only on a tablet (and scale). Trine 2, I'm pretty sure would run on a phone fine too, and beat the heck out of any android games. Fruity loops might need a tweak to run that small though.
Being able to run them on a phone, incentivises developers more to create full scalability (especially when added to the fast growing windows tablet market). Already tablets which are only a small market (but growing) have incentivised at least a few devs to make win32 apps for tablets.
Some win32 apps are simple enough that they run okay on small screens anyway. For example the scaling legacy terminal programs that many businesses still run, may well run fine on a small screen. Basic office apps etc. In some cases this will add real value.
Then there's full browsers, which beat scaled down ones by quite a margin.
And then there's chrome extensions. Which is pretty much an add-on app store, which stuff like WhatsApp, tinder and loads more. You can run these like an app, fully detached from the browser, with a desktop link.
There are things MS could do to help win32 compatibility. IDK if they will. Virtual xbox gamepad would be literally huge for windows 10 on phones and tablets (bringing all those amazing legacy games to the platform - making the phone the number 1 phone gaming device).
Different scaling methods would help a lot too (bb10 uses this for android apps, different styles of zoom, and you pick one that displays best).
Stats don't show that mobiles have displaced PCs really. More that people have both.
Some people also have tablets. Myself I have a tablet, a phone and a desktop. I'd be hard pressed to find anyone that doesn't have at least two devices, let alone 3+, especially families who seem to have dozens. And then there's laptops! (In my house, of two people, there are two desktops, two tablets, two phones and a laptop for example)
I'd really appreciate spending less money on devices, and having less cloud use and syncing. For me, I'd at least rather have two not three.
Hybrid hardware solutions haven't been very good so far, so it sort of depends on implementation. For example, if I could get a tablet, with thunderbolt, and dock that to an external HDD and GPU, for gaming - I'd probably ditch my desktop. I'd kind of love to, I'm one for form, function and simplicity.
Or equally, something like that in a phone. I'd probably still have two, so I can second screen.
People don't really want to be spending loads of money on multiple devices, all of which they have to constantly upgrade, there's a great deal of overlap and redundancy ATM. Its messy.
There are other benefits to windows 10 on arm too, not just win32. For example, multi-tasking on windows 10 mobile is primitive. even next to other mobile OSs.
And yes, for those people attracted to continuum (enterprise, travellers etc), full win32 will make it a lot more attractive.
Perhaps like UWP, its more planting a seed, than a fully finished product (to make it work really well, you'll also need developers to get on board with making more scalable touch friendly versions of big name apps) BUT there is without doubt things you can do on such a platform, that no other phone can do.
Windows is sort of becoming cool again, so the right kind of release and demo hardware, the right implementation in software, and I can see windows on phone making a buzz again.
The good news is there, big name windows app developers (like adobe) have real development cash. They can afford to spend the time on such things
(like scaling) for their cash willing consumers. Unlike mobile apps, who's margins are much tighter and rely on freemium and advertising models more. They can't be bothered with smaller markets. Big contrast in profit models, and consumer care. For someone like adobe, it could be quite attractive to offer their customers the power to sketch on their phones while away from the desk.
ATM, windows 10 mobile offers nothing truly unique. At mimimum, windows 10 on arm brings a little wow by being able to do impressive things other phones can't. How well that implements, and grows, how consumers respond IDK.
But it is MS vision to have an OS that runs on any hardware platform anyway. Small screen, big screen, small device, big device, no screen. Even if that's a long term vision, its a future proof one. Because nothing is more certain than tech markets change.
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