Windows 10 IoT Core is a bit of a weird one. If you’ve spent any time in the maker community or working on industrial embedded systems, you probably remember the hype back in 2015. Microsoft was basically saying, "Hey, we can put Windows on a Raspberry Pi!" People lost their minds. They thought they were getting a full desktop experience on a $35 board.
They weren't. Honestly, that misunderstanding is exactly why so many people walked away from the platform frustrated.
Windows 10 IoT Core isn't the Windows you use to write emails or play games. It has no shell. No desktop. No File Explorer. It’s a stripped-down, lightweight version of the Windows 10 stack designed specifically for small, smart devices. Think thermostats, industrial controllers, or those smart mirrors people were obsessed with building a few years ago. It was built to run exactly one Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app in the foreground. That’s it.
Why Windows 10 IoT Core exists in a Linux world
You might wonder why anyone would bother with Windows when Linux—specifically Raspbian or Ubuntu Core—dominates the embedded space. It comes down to the ecosystem.
If you’re a C# developer, you’re already comfortable with Visual Studio. You know the debugger. You love NuGet. For a company that already has a massive codebase in .NET, the ability to deploy that logic to a tiny ARM device without learning the intricacies of Linux kernel modules is a huge selling point. It’s about the "Time to Market."
Microsoft didn't build this for your hobbyist project, even though they marketed it to makers. They built it for the enterprise.
The Under-the-Hood Reality
The OS relies heavily on the Universal Windows Platform (UWP). This is both its greatest strength and its most annoying limitation. Because it uses UWP, you get incredible hardware access APIs for things like GPIO, I2C, and SPI. But, it also means you can't just run a random .exe you found on the internet.
The security model is tight. Really tight.
On a standard Windows PC, you’re constantly fighting off malware because the OS is so open. In Windows 10 IoT Core, the attack surface is tiny. Since there's no UI for a user to mess with, and it only runs signed apps, it's actually a very robust choice for "set it and forget it" hardware.
The Hardware Disconnect
Let's talk about the Raspberry Pi for a second. This is where the factual history gets a bit messy.
Microsoft officially supported the Raspberry Pi 2 and 3. When the Raspberry Pi 4 came out, everyone waited for the IoT Core update. And waited. And waited. It never officially arrived in the way people wanted. While there are community hacks to get it running, the official support for the Pi 4 was never a priority for Microsoft.
Why? Because the Pi is broad-market. Microsoft shifted their focus toward "silicon partners" like NXP with their i.MX series processors. These are the chips found in medical devices and car dashboards—places where "long-term support" (LTSC) actually matters.
Windows 10 IoT Core vs. IoT Enterprise
This is where people get confused. Most folks actually want Windows 10 IoT Enterprise.
IoT Enterprise is essentially the full version of Windows 10 Pro, but with "Lockdown" features enabled. It can run Win32 apps, it has a desktop, and it supports Chrome. IoT Core is the "headless" version. If your device has a complex GUI with multiple windows, you're looking at Enterprise. If your device just shows a single temperature reading on a tiny screen, you're looking at Core.
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Performance and the "Slow" Myth
I’ve heard so many people say Windows 10 IoT Core is slow.
"It takes 40 seconds to boot!"
Yeah, it does. Compared to a minimal Linux build that boots in 4 seconds, Windows is heavy. But once it’s running, the real-time performance for handling I/O isn't actually that bad. The overhead is in the boot sequence and the background services (like the web-based device portal).
If you're building a heart rate monitor, those extra 30 seconds of boot time might not matter. If you're building a smart light switch, it’s a dealbreaker. Context is everything here.
Security and the Azure Connection
One thing Microsoft got right was the integration with Azure IoT Hub.
Managing a fleet of 1,000 devices in the field is a nightmare. Windows 10 IoT Core was built to be managed like a tiny PC. You can push updates via Windows Update for Business. You can use Azure to monitor the health of the OS. For a CTO, that’s way more comforting than "we have a custom Python script that runs on a cron job to check for updates."
It’s about the lifecycle.
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The "End of Life" Question
Is Windows 10 IoT Core dead? Kinda, but not really.
Microsoft has moved toward Windows 10 IoT Core Services. This is a paid subscription model that guarantees 10 years of support and security patches. They’ve also started leaning into Windows IoT on ARM64.
However, for the average developer, the momentum has clearly shifted. Microsoft’s own "Azure Sphere" is now the darling for ultra-secure, small-scale IoT. And with the rise of .NET 6/7/8 being cross-platform, you can now run .NET apps on Linux with incredible performance.
The "moat" that kept developers on Windows 10 IoT Core—the C# ecosystem—has been bridged. You can now write C# on your Mac, deploy it to a Linux-based Raspberry Pi, and get better performance than you ever did on IoT Core.
Should You Use It in 2026?
Honestly? Probably not for a new hobby project.
The community support has dwindled. Most libraries you'll find on GitHub are five years old. If you're starting fresh, go with a standard Linux distro and use .NET's System.Device.Gpio library. You get the language you love without the OS baggage.
But, if you are maintaining legacy industrial hardware or you are deep in the Windows hardware dev center ecosystem, IoT Core remains a stable, predictable platform. It does exactly what it says on the tin: it runs a UWP app on small hardware with Windows-grade security.
Real-World Use Cases That Still Make Sense:
- Digital Signage: Where you want to ensure only one specific app runs and the "Blue Screen of Death" is hidden from the public.
- Internal Tooling: Devices used on a factory floor that need to authenticate via Active Directory.
- Medical Equipment: Where the regulatory hurdles of changing an OS are so high that you stay on a supported LTSC version for a decade.
How to Get Started (The Right Way)
If you're determined to try it out, don't just flash an SD card and hope for the best.
- Check the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL): Stick to the Raspberry Pi 3B or an NXP i.MX6/7 board. Don't try to force it onto a Pi 4 or 5 unless you enjoy pain.
- Use the Dashboard: Download the Windows 10 IoT Core Dashboard on your main PC. It’s the easiest way to flash the image and find the device on your network.
- Learn the Device Portal: Once it’s running, you access the device through a web browser. This is where you'll see CPU usage, running processes, and app deployment settings.
- Target UWP: Remember, your app must be a UWP app. If you try to deploy a WinForms or WPF app, it will fail.
Windows 10 IoT Core was an ambitious attempt to unify the Windows experience from the "big iron" servers down to the tiny sensors. It didn't take over the world, but it proved that the Windows kernel could be surprisingly modular. Just make sure you're using it for its strengths—security and enterprise management—rather than trying to turn a Raspberry Pi into a desktop PC.
Actionable Steps for Decision Makers
- Audit your current stack: If you are currently on Linux and struggling with security updates, look at the Windows 10 IoT Core Services 10-year support plan.
- Evaluate .NET move: If you only use IoT Core for C# compatibility, run a pilot program moving your app to .NET 8 on a lightweight Linux distro like Alpine.
- Hardware Refresh: If your current IoT Core hardware is aging out, look toward the NXP i.MX8 series, which has better long-term roadmaps for Windows-based IoT than the Raspberry Pi line.