Microsoft may be have rolled out a more Windows-like user interface to its dual-screen Surface Duo smartphone lineup, but the devices still ship with Google’s Android operating system. That hasn’t stopped developers like Gustave Monce from working to install actual Windows software on the phones.

Up until recently, a lot of that work has focused on porting Windows to work with the original Surface Duo. But over the weekend Monce released new drivers for the Surface Duo 2 that bring major improvements… although some basic features like wireless networking, hardware-accelerated graphics, and audio aren’t working yet.

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6 replies on “Lilbits: Installing Windows on all the things (or at least the Steam Deck and Surface Duo 2)”

  1. “wireless networking, hardware-accelerated graphics, and audio aren’t working yet” — where have I seen that before? The Surface Duo 2 should be usable as a Windows device soon after ARM GPUs are fully supported — early in the next millennium?

  2. This is my dream scenario for devices like the Duo or any dual screen mobile. A mobile phone running Android but when plugged in to a docking station it will launch windows and run as a desktop. The 2 operating systems have to coexist so you can still answer calls and messages. Most all other functions are cross platforms, social media, etc..) One device to rule them all. Is anyone working on something like this? Perhaps Android/Linux pairing instead?

    1. Sauron. One might imagine proprietary operating systems sharing information and cooperating with one another, but one could just as well imagine an operating system that works well on both platforms — God has confounded their speech.

      1. Windows can already do that.

        It’s just that developers don’t bother designing Windows programs/apps that run well on small screens.

        1. Right but its not a small screen when its docked at your desk. As I think you are implying, Windows runs Android. You have have windows OS running android apps when undocked and using it as a phone. Then you can switch to windows native on the dock to work and android apps will still do things like take calls, messages, etc… You can use bluetooth headsets or your desktop accessories to answer calls.

          1. You only have Microsoft to blame for that. They thought their Windows Mobile 6 platform, with the PDAs and Stylus was the best. They didn’t take Apple seriously, and didn’t see Google coming up.

            Within two years, we had the iOS 3.1 and Android 1.6 with the iPhone 3G and Moto Cliq… devices I would put above PDAs at the time.

            Then they evolved quickly into iOS 4.1 and Android 4.0.3 with the likes of the iPhone 4 and Samsung S2. Vastly above anything Microsoft had.

            What they did have was lipstick on a pig. Windows CE with a weird skin, and Windows 7 with a weird skin, and Windows ART 32 not optimised for ARM.

            If they behaved like Google, they may have acted in haste to the iOS announcement. The only way MS could have won the smartphone race is if they had Windows 10 Mobile released in late 2010 to early 2012 period.

            Something like the HP Elite X3 in 2011, but running a weaker processor may have been awesome. Later that could have evolved into something like the Razer Phone 2, which then transforms into a Handheld Xbox with the JungleCat, and it also transforms into a Surface Laptop with the Project Linda, and it transforms into a NUC with a Samsung DeX Station.

            Again, I know back in 2010 the hardware wasn’t quite there yet (minimum: 64bit, 8x Cortex-A53, 24nm), and only became viable in 2014. But they could have laid the foundation and groundworks for these. That’s how Apple keeps winning, since their implementation of new features is usually better because they set themselves for it in advance, sometimes years.

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