Running Windows on Raspberry Pi zero?

Question

If you made a computer with about 40 Raspberry Pi Zeros https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/pi-zero/ would you somehow be able to install a full version of any Windows operating system instead of just having raspbian Linux? would you even be able to create a fully functioning computer?

Answer 1

Plain Windows will not run on a Pi, because it is compiled for x86 (Intel or AMD) architecture.



Microsoft have released something called Windows 10 Internet of Things Core Edition which is compiled to run on the Pi. But it has no user interface. You have to program it by creating and compiling programs on another Win 10 computer, and then forcing the compiled program into the Pi. Not useful or practical.



You cannot build a single computer by using multiple other computers - that is always a collection of computers. It can be useful, but only for certain special purposes - someone at Manchester Uni built a "bullet-time" camera (the picture rotates around the subject, like in The Matirx movie) with 40 R-Pis. Link to article and video https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/frozen-pi-bullet-time-photography-with-the-raspberry-pi/

Answer 2

The Raspberry Pi Zero is a fully functioning computer, but it doesn't have an x86 compatible processor.

Answer 3

Sadly no. I read some articles about them planning to release Windows for the Pi 2 or Pi 3, see if they followed through.