Running Windows 10 on Unconventional Devices: A Test of Limitations and Possibilities

The world of technology has come to a point where it's possible to run Windows 10 on almost any device with a web browser, thanks to Microsoft's latest offering, Windows 365. This innovative service allows users to access their own dedicated Windows 10 PC in the cloud, making it accessible from anywhere and on any device that can handle it.

As part of our experiment, we're going to test out this concept by running Windows 10 on some unexpected devices. We'll start with an iPad, which is one of the most unlikely candidates for running Windows 10. According to Microsoft's recommendations, using a remote desktop client is essential for accessing Windows 365 on a non-traditional device like an iPad. The remote desktop client allows users to log in and use their Windows 365 app in the cloud, providing access to a dedicated Windows 10 PC.

When it comes to running Windows 10 on an iPad, we're using the Remote Desktop client for the best results. This app provides full support for the iPad's touchscreen interface, allowing us to use the cursor smoothly and take advantage of the device's camera capabilities. As we can see, the remote desktop client is properly scaled and works seamlessly with the iPad's layout.

However, as we continue to explore the possibilities of running Windows 10 on an unconventional device, it becomes clear that not all devices are created equal. The Remote Desktop app's performance can vary greatly depending on the device's capabilities and the user's expectations. For example, when using a regular desktop web browser, the experience may not be as smooth or responsive as we'd like.

But what happens when we try running the remote desktop app on a flip phone like the Z Flip? The results are nothing short of astonishing. After installing the Remote Desktop app on our Z Flip, we launch it and are greeted with an interface that's surprisingly well-suited to the device's aspect ratio. The cursor moves smoothly across the screen, and even the camera works seamlessly – although with a noticeable amount of latency.

As we continue to test out this concept on different devices, it becomes clear that the Remote Desktop app is more than just a novelty. It provides a viable way for users to access their Windows 365 app in the cloud from almost any device, making it an attractive option for those looking to expand their computing capabilities beyond traditional desktops and laptops.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- Today we are runningWindows 10 on thingsyou should not run Windows10 on, including old systems,phones, Macs, iPads, socast your mind wide opento the most obscure, bizarrething you could possiblyimagine running Windows,and we're gonna do it today.Why'd I just jump on the desk?I'm not sure, but it felt right.Microsoft just released Windows 365,which allows you to run yourown dedicated Windows 10 PCin the cloud on literallyanything that has a web browser,so let's put that to the test.I started out by signingup for the higher tierat a pretty expensive $66 a month,which comes with four CPU cores,16 gigs of RAM, and 128 gigs of storage,although realistically,you can get up and runningfor close to $20 a monthfor a lower-spec machine.To start out with, the firstdevice that I would loveto run Windows 10 on is the iPad.For the best results, Microsoft recommendsusing the Remote Desktop client.Now, this is something that you could usewith your own PC, right?If you have, I believe, Windows 10 Pro,pretty much any PC canlog in, and you can use iton a Mac or whatever, butwhat we can use it foris accessing our Windows365 app in the cloud.So the advantage to usingthe Remote Desktop client,first of all, as you can see,it's actually properly scaled.You also have pretty much full supportfor everything on the iPad.So I can use the touchscreenon Windows, right.The cursor is pretty damn smooth.(Austin gasping)The camera works! What?Are you kidding me?Wait, wait, wait, you gotta see this.I mean, there's mad latency, of course.(host whooshes)Okay, okay, okay, sorry, sorry,I was not expecting that.So I think we're gonnatry a bunch a devices,but the gist of it, Ithink, is if you havea regular desktop web browser,it will work fairly well,but if you can get accessto the Remote Desktop app,you're gonna have a much better experienceaccessing your Windows 365 device.(suspenseful music)So I have installed the RemoteDesktop app on my Z Flip.So let's just see whathappens when I launch it.Configuring, and oh, my God, it works!Not only does it work,it just changed overto the Z Flip's aspect ratio.Oh, wow! Yo, whoa, whoa, yo, whoa.Wait, this is actually not terrible.Anywhere you place it on the screen,it just moves the cursor.It just doesn't stop!No matter what device I throw at it,it's just like, "Yeah, sure, no problem."Oh, my God! Oh, my God! This is so dumb.This is so dumb, but lookat my Windows Z Flip, boys!Come on! Come on.This is a video which is pure fun,pure delight, pure entertainment.What can we try next?(title smacking)So we've got a Core i7.I believe that's a firstor second-gen Core i7.Four gigs of RAM, HD 3000 graphics.I mean, this is not anythingall that impressive.Now, I specifically picked thisbecause it is too old touse at least the versionon the App Store thatwe would normally useof the Remote Desktop software,so I'm gonna try to just load up in SafariWindows365.com and see if it works.Now, I'm gonna do this on Wi-Fi.This MacBook does have ethernet.That would probably slightlyimprove our performance,but I wanna try to keepit somewhat realistic.All right, let's see what kinda speedsthat the Microsoft serverhas on the other end.- There areservers in Washington.- It is. Allright, ready, and- (laughs)- We could stream off that.- Yeah, you think, you think, you think.Wait, wait, wait, let's see the upload.Let's see the upload.Come on, come on, come on.Hit me. Hit me!(hands clapping)We got that big, that big, oh, eh, oh!Oh, it's going.- Oh, wow!- It's going. It's going.- Oh, my God!- It's going! It's going!Let's (gasps) go, boys!Yo, 1,400 megabits, 1.4 gigabitsdown, and 2.7 gigabits up.I can use that crazy-fast uploadto dump files to it and pullit down on my local device.Right, obviously, to getsomething on this device itself,I need a good internet connection,but if I'm saving stuff to the cloud,I've got almost threegigabits upload. Whoo!Whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo!(hands clapping)This actually works really well.Again, this is an old version of Safari.We're several generations behind,and I would say theperformance and the actual,like, look, I've got twofingers scrolling here.Look how, like, that's maybea third of a second latency.I figured that the Remote Desktop appon something like theiPad or even on the Z Flipwould be the best scenario, butI mean, that's super-smooth.What, what's that?Why'd you bring a Chromebook?(computer clattering)If it works on an old 2011 MacBookwith an out-of-date version of Safari,it's gonna work on a Chromebook!- We can makeit a real computer!- Chrome OS is a real thing!- No, it's not!- It is absolutely a thing.- Stop tricking our audienceinto thinking thatthese things are useful.(air whooshing)- So I have got(title smacking)this old ThinkPad, which islegitimately had been sittingaround for, oh, God, ah,(flutters lips) three years?This is a Core 2 Duo system, and I got itbecause I originally wanted to do a videobecause this is one of the oldest systemsthat I could buy thatwould support Windows 10.So for context, this is asystem with a Core 2 Duo T9400.We've got ourselves four gigs of RAM,and we've got ourselves a 112 gig-I think it's a hard drive, actually.I don't even think there's an SSD in here.Should we just fire it up inEdge and see what happens?Now, I will say that thishas got the old versionof Edge because I havenot touched this systemin, like, several years.- Oh, so not Chrome?- So non-Chromium Edge, buthey, we're gonna try old stuff.Let's try old stuff, shall we?Activate, andlook at that!We're back in there!I will say the qualitylooks significantly worse.Like, you could just see it's kind blurry.Okay, that's a lot worse, somaybe we're hitting the limitsfor what this Core 2 Duo can handle.So that's about thesmallest window we can get.Is this gonna work better?Oh, it is, actually.- Yeah, 'cause it's a lesserresolution video, right?- Yeah!- So...- Interesting!Okay, so you can get this usable even on,I would say, ridiculouslyoutdated hardware.I think we've pretty well establishedthat the Windows 365and the Remote Desktop,it's pretty good.It works on a lottadevices, but I don't thinkwe can just go old with it.I don't think we canjust go outdated with it.I think we should take alittle look over at trulythe most budget, bargainbasement, low-end hardware we can.No, not the RTX 3090.This, the Raspberry Pi Zero.This is a computer whichcosts, what, five, 10 bucks?Single core, literallythe lowest spec possible.It qualifies as acomputer, but not by much.- I mean, thisis a project kinda system,not really for anythingelse, but I'd be impressedif it can at least run it.To be fair, Matt and I putbets on how long it'll takefor you to load this, andwe both bet against you.- I don't think this is gonna work.I think it will not be usable.I think it's gonna probably, whoa, okay.- I'm gonnaleave the camera there'cause I'm tired of holding it.You can-- So it's justgonna be a montage now of Austin waitingfor Raspberry Pi Zero to load a webpagefor the next 15 minutes.- Yes.- So, all right,(computer clattering)we've already given up.We're just switching to the 400.- Okay.- Look at that.Look how much better this is. Oh, my gosh!Okay, so immediately, we'llsay it feels pretty blurry.So let's full screen it.- That image compression.It's hard to get that on camera,but it's not particularly good.- It definitely looks likeI'm watching a 720p videoof a Windows system.- But to befair, we are also lookingat this on, like, a 48-inch TV.- Yeah, there might be a scenarioin which, if you have some kindof native Remote Desktopapp, it runs better,but even on what is a relativelypowerful Raspberry Pi,at least in Pi terms, the 400, this is nota good experience, at leastrunning in the browser.It's just, it's so laggy.We'll be right back after this wordfrom our fine sponsors over at Saint Jude!Actually, I'm just making that up.Saint Jude aren't sponsoring this video.However, my good friend, Myke Hurley,my cohost of the "Test Drivers" podcast,is doing an amazing podcastathonto support the SaintJude Children's Hospital.Now, this is a cause that Iseriously love and support.Saint Jude does a lot of amazing work,and for this next month, they're raisingas much money as they canto help support Saint Jude,so I of course will be donating myself,and if you would like to help supportnot only Myke and the whole relay crewfor their giant podcastathon,but you also can help supportSaint Jude by checking outthe link in the description.(title smacking)(upbeat music)So this is a vehicle that happens to havea web browser in the center display,so what I have done is I have tetheredthis particular vehicle to my Z Flip,so we are on 5G, and I'veloaded up Windows 365.Now, I've not pressed theopen browser button yet,so let's just see what happens.Uh-oh, oh, no, "This clientisn't officially supportedon your browser device," butit said you can use it anyway.Ooh! 'Cause I didn't knowwhat kinda browser this is.It's probably some Chromium thing."The client might not workthe way it's designed to."Oh, yes, yes, activate all the things,yes, all my resources.Jailbreak my car. Go for it.- It can't open the remote port.(Austin groaning and laughing)Yeah. Okay. Okay.- It's not, it's not doing it.All right, I think that's a fail.I think we found the first devicethat does not support Windows10, which is a whole vehicle.- Well.(whimsical music)Oh, yeah.(Austin laughing)So, this is the Scion iQfrom the "Building a PCin a Car" video, exceptthe PC isn't here anymore.Instead, we have an Xbox Series X.We have an insiderversion of Microsoft Edge,which should, in theory,let us run Windows 365.We are finally doing the thingthat Microsoft should'vedone in the first place.- Windows on an Xbox!- Windows on an Xbox.This is something thatwe've wanted, all of us herein the office, for a long time.We're never gonna get it, but thisis gonna be the next best thing, right?Oh, my God, it's working right here.- Ooh, Windows!- So this, in theory, should work.We haven't tried thiswireless keyboard mouseat oh, wow!- Works flawless!We go, we go full screen on it?Oh, my God, we did it! (laughs)Yo! Dude, this is great.Wait, wait, actually openup a video or something.Wait, wait, wait, the Scion video!- Wait, wait, wait. (laughs)- The Scion video!- That is a littletoo on the nose. (laughs)We're not logged in toYouTube, by the way.This is-- No, it, it just,we just happened to be served the videoof us building the car.We are quite literally-- Oh, that's literally in here.- In the world's fastest gaming PC!This is a win.This is absolutely 100% a win.- Yeah!I mean, shout-out to Xboxfor putting Microsoft Edge,full Microsoft Edge onthere with Chromium.Makes a lotta thingspossible, including this,though I guess my questionis can we do xCloud?- No, you can't do xCloud.(Kenneth laughing)- Are you going to- (laughs)- Okay, so hang on, solet me just be clear,right now, we're gonna runxCloud via the Windows systemin the cloud, so basically,we're double-cloudingover 5G into an Xbox in the back of a car.- Yes.- We're clouding on cloud.Oh, did you get it? (gasps)(Matt laughing)- No!Oh, my God.- Yo!- I hear, oh!- Yo!It's, wait!(logo whooshing)(everyone laughing)- (laughing) That is awful.I mean, that is aboutfour frames per second.(Matt laughing)- Wait, we're updating Destiny!No wonder it's running bad.- Oh, yeah, oh,yeah, let's turn that off.(laughing) Wait.Wow, we have good 5G here. Damn.- Look at that!Oh, okay, so our performancewas just down to the factthat we were downloading Destiny over 5G.If only we could actually justplay Xbox games on an Xbox.I like how we're goingthrough all this troublewhen we have an Xbox wecould just play games on.- Well, this isnot the intended use case.- No, I don't think any ofthis is an intended use case.I don't think they everimagined that someonewould be this stupid tobe able to go this farto push technologybeyond its outer limits,to explore new horizons,to experiencethe wonder of poor decision-making.Thank you very much for watching.Please be sure to subscribe to the channelfor other hijinks andshenanigans like this,and until next time, we'regoing to go six layers deepin the cloud until wecan't find a way out.(adventurous music)