RISC Archives

Winsage

September 4, 2026

Which came first, Windows 95’s taskbar or NeXT’s Dock? Neither

The tech community recently celebrated the 31st anniversary of Windows 95, sparking discussions about its design influences, particularly regarding the potential British roots of its interface. Former Microsoft engineer Dave Plummer's post on X led to exchanges among ex-Microsoft employees, including Joe Belfiore, who clarified that the Windows taskbar was not inspired by the NeXT dock but rather by developments from the Cairo team, specifically a persistent "tray" for file transfers. The debate references Paul Fellows, who led the Arthur project at Acorn, which introduced the first "icon bar" in 1987, influencing both NeXTstep and Windows. Acorn's Arthur, initially a BASIC demo, became RISC OS by 1989, maintaining its foundational design elements. The timeline shows that Acorn's icon bar predated NeXTstep's dock and the Windows taskbar, with Windows 2.0 and OS/2 1.1 released in late 1987 and 1988, respectively, showing visual similarities to NeXTstep. The Microsoft Cairo project, which ran from 1991 to 1996, coincided with Windows NT 4 development. The Windows 95 taskbar and NeXT's dock served different functions, but their historical context is significant.

Winsage

September 1, 2026

Windows 95’s taskbar didn’t come from Steve Jobs’ NeXT Dock, and a former Microsoft VP explains what did

The Windows 95 taskbar was not inspired by the NeXT Dock, as clarified by former Microsoft executives Joe Belfiore and Brad Silverberg. Instead, its design was influenced by a Microsoft project called Cairo, which aimed to provide users with easy access to information. The taskbar was created to address usability issues from Windows 3.1, specifically to help users keep track of minimized windows. In 2021, with the release of Windows 11, Microsoft introduced a centered taskbar and later allowed it to be repositioned to any edge of the screen, reflecting a commitment to user experience.

Winsage

May 15, 2026

Lilbits: A RISC-V router (crowdfunding), an E Ink color dev kit, and Windows 11 taskbar customization

Microsoft is reintroducing the option to reposition the taskbar in Windows 11, currently available only to Windows 11 Insider Preview program members using an experimental build. Additional customization options for the Start Menu are also being rolled out to Insiders. A crowdfunding initiative has launched for a WiFi router powered by a RISC-V processor and a modified version of OpenWrt, featuring a SpacemiT K1 RISC-V processor, 4GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage, priced at 9, with no delivery guarantee. M5Stack has launched a development kit with a 4-inch E Ink Spectra 6 color display, priced at , which includes a 1250 mAh battery, microSD card reader, speaker, microphone, and buttons. GEEKOM has upgraded its mini PC lineup with the A9 Max 2026 Edition, featuring a Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 chip for improved AI and CPU performance compared to the HX 370. Pine64 has warned of a defect in a batch of its PinePower V2 power supplies, which may display a 0V output under certain conditions, assuring users that the issue will be fixed in the next production batch.

Winsage

April 10, 2026

Lilbits: Lenovo teases a larger gaming tablet, OpenBSD ported to the Pomera DM250, Microsoft simplifies Windows Insider channels

Lenovo introduced its Legion brand for gaming tablets in 2022 and has consistently maintained an 8.8-inch screen size across its devices. The company is preparing to launch a new gaming tablet with a larger display and potentially dual rear cameras. So far, Lenovo has released five versions of the Legion Y700 gaming tablet exclusively in China, with only two models available in the United States, and a third model expected soon.

AppWizard

November 14, 2025

Game server hosting just found its most unlikely platform in a cheap bulb

A hardware enthusiast named Vimpo successfully hosted a Minecraft server on a budget-friendly smart LED bulb using a BL602 RISC-V microcontroller, which operates at 192 megahertz and has 276 kilobytes of RAM and 128 kilobytes of ROM. He implemented a lightweight server software called Ucraft, with a binary size of approximately 46 kilobytes without authentication and 90 kilobytes with authentication. While Ucraft meets basic hosting demands, it lacks most features of a standard Minecraft server. This project demonstrates the flexibility of embedded systems and highlights innovative uses of technology.

AppWizard

November 11, 2025

This bright spark built a 90 KB Minecraft server and got it running on a Wi-Fi-equipped lightbulb

YouTuber Vimpo successfully ran a custom Minecraft server, named Ucraft, on a modified Wi-Fi smart lightbulb. The lightbulb was altered by removing its glass exterior to access the BL602 RISC-V chip, which was connected to a microcontroller with a USB port. The server binary is compact, measuring 46 KB without the authentication library and 90 KB with it, and uses a maximum of 70 KB of memory with ten players. The server supports basic minigames like TNT run, although it has limitations on blocks and map sizes.

AppWizard

November 11, 2025

Hardware hacker installs Minecraft server on a cheap smart lightbulb — single 192 MHz RISC-V core with 276KB of RAM, enough to run tiny 90K byte world

A hardware hacker named Vimpo installed a Minecraft server on a budget-friendly smart lightbulb, utilizing the bulb's BL602 RISC-V-powered microcontroller. Vimpo disassembled an LED bulb from AliExpress, soldered connections to its headers, and used a USB-to-serial adapter for communication. The software aspect involved using Ucraft, a compact implementation available on GitHub, which has a binary size of approximately 46K bytes without authentication and 90K bytes with it. Memory usage varies with active players, reaching a maximum of around 70K bytes with 10 players connected. Ucraft, however, lacks most features of the vanilla server.

AppWizard

November 10, 2025

This Lamp Runs Minecraft

Hackers have shifted their focus from running Doom on unconventional devices to establishing Minecraft servers on unexpected platforms. A recent achievement involves running a Minecraft server on an IoT light bulb, utilizing a BL602 RISC-V-powered microcontroller. The server, named Ucraft, was optimized to fit within the microcontroller's limited memory and storage, condensing the software to just a few tens of kilobytes. The microcontroller was extracted from the bulb, new firmware was flashed onto it, and then it was soldered back into place to host Minecraft worlds. Despite limitations in world size and available items, the server operates effectively, providing a responsive gaming experience.

Winsage

December 27, 2024

Mythbusters: Windows IoT Enterprise LTSC for Arm

Advantech's infographic addresses myths about Microsoft Windows IoT Enterprise LTSC for Arm, distinguishing it from Windows Home or Professional editions. Myths about the operating system include: 1. Windows on Arm consumes significant power and resources, leading to poor performance. 2. The image size of Windows on Arm is greater than or equal to that of Windows on x86. 3. Desktop mode is unavailable on Windows on Arm. 4. Windows on Arm is a stripped-down version of Windows. 5. Arm architecture may face limitations with complex tasks. 6. All Windows devices are power-hungry, and switching to Arm offers no improvement. Key facts include: - Windows IoT Enterprise LTSC typically occupies about 6GB of storage, with a minimum requirement of 16GB. - Desktop mode is available on Windows on Arm. - Windows on Arm retains core functionalities, though some hardware drivers may have compatibility issues. - Arm processors are generally more efficient than x86 counterparts. Myths regarding applications and workload include: 7. Windows on Arm exclusively supports Arm64 applications. 8. Multimedia applications perform poorly on Windows on Arm devices. 9. Windows Copilot can be extended to all versions of Windows running on Arm. Key facts include: - An emulation system allows x86 applications to run on Arm hardware. - Multimedia performance depends on hardware acceleration, which is supported by major SoC manufacturers. - Cloud-based services like Windows Copilot operate effectively on Windows IoT Enterprise LTSC for Arm, but on-device Copilot+ requires specific hardware capabilities. Myths about licensing and development include: 10. The Windows license fee for x86 is expensive, and the fee for Windows on Arm is similarly high. 11. Windows on Arm has limited support for certain Windows frameworks. 12. Development and debugging on Windows for Arm architecture present challenges requiring extended transition periods. Key facts include: - Windows IoT Enterprise LTSC is priced between 0 and 0, offering a decade of security updates. - Transitioning from x86 to Arm for application development is streamlined, with common programming languages and frameworks remaining compatible. Tools like Visual Studio facilitate the development process.

Winsage

October 5, 2024

Lilbits: Goodbye Windows Mixed Reality, Hello Raspberry Pi 500, 80 Gbps USB4 v2 cables, and Rockchip RK3688 processor – Liliputing

Microsoft has concluded its support for Windows Mixed Reality with the rollout of Windows 11 24H2, which no longer accommodates virtual reality headsets from Acer, HP, and Lenovo. Rockchip is set to launch its RK3688 processor in 2025 or 2026, featuring an Armv9.3 CPU and supporting up to 16 TOPS of AI performance. A new Raspberry Pi model, the Raspberry Pi 500, is in development, likely featuring the same processor as the Raspberry Pi 5. Google will discontinue its ferrochrome app for running Chrome OS in a virtual machine on Android devices. Samsung is adapting its Tizen operating system for compatibility with RISC-V processors. ELECOM will release Japan's first certified USB4 Version 2.0 Type-C cables, supporting data transfer speeds of up to 80 Gbps and 240W USB Power Delivery.