Over the past few months Arm has been working closely with the community and partner companies to release Electron 6 to support Windows on Arm PC devices. Significant progress has been made and we are planning to have a version available for app developers by August 2019!
Electron is a cross-platform application framework which allows developers to write their apps – typically in JavaScript but also with some native libraries – and package them up with the Chromium browser so they look and feel native. It is used by over 700 different applications including some of the most popular Windows apps, such as Teams, Skype, and Visual Studio Code.
Our work on Electron 6 is the result of months of active investment from Arm and the Electron ecosystem. App developers will soon be able to take the latest official release of Electron and publish native Arm builds of their applications. Not only does this enable Arm developers with improvements in performance and reliability, but providing this support gives a significant boost to the Windows on Arm ecosystem and the adoption of Always On, Always Connected PCs.
Alongside the work we have already done with Electron, we are also working closely with Microsoft, Qualcomm and the Electron open source community to enable open source components. This includes Node.js which provides the back-end libraries and Chromium which provides the user interface for Electron applications. These are essential components that allow developers to compile Arm64 versions of their applications.
We have also started working closely and collaborating with several app developers to enable them to start working with the next release of Electron. The aim is to give the Windows on Arm ecosystem the components to make an impact on native app availability. Changing the framework to run natively will vastly improve the overall user experience in terms of performance, efficiency – particularly the longer battery life – and stability.
Looking at the different categories on electronjs.org, there are a variety of different applications available on Windows on Arm PCs. Productivity apps make up the majority of all applications, but entertainment apps, such as music, video and gaming, also feature strongly. The ecosystem is becoming bigger and more diverse.
Miguel Nunes, Senior Director at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc said:
“We are glad to have native Electron support for the Windows on Snapdragon powered Always On, Always Connected PC ecosystem enabling a wide range of apps for the Chromium browser. With more applications natively supported on Windows on Snapdragon combined with the multi-gigabit connectivity, ultra-low latency, and massive capacity of 5G, we are excited to see transformative new user experiences that will drive a new era of computing.”
Over the next few months, Arm will continue to work closely with all our ecosystem partners as they work to build Arm-native versions of thousands of applications. We have already seen the Windows on Arm ecosystem develop at a rapid pace. Our work with Electron and other initiatives related to Windows on Arm PCs is about matching this growth with more native application, developer and OEM support. Being able to provide this level of support not only means greater credibility for the ecosystem, but also helps to enhance the user experience on Windows on Arm PC devices and underscores our commitment to continue innovating and enabling these next-generation user experiences.
The Electron work is a step forward to making a significant difference to the range of users that are currently adopting Windows on Arm PC devices. We are not standing still following Electron 6, with further initiatives on the way in the very near future!
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