The ECS LIVA Mini Box QC710 Desktop is a low-end, Snapdragon-powered Windows 10 on ARM mini-PC that can be upgraded to Windows 11. It is aimed at developers, but since it only costs $219, it will be of interest to Windows enthusiasts as well. With one important caveat.
Qualcomm announced this mini PC as the Snapdragon Developer Kit for Windows 10 on Arm PCs back in May, but it hasn’t appeared until now for whatever reason. Now called the ECS LIVA Mini Box QC710 Desktop, it’s available on the Microsoft Store for just $219, making it a compelling option for developers who want to test their apps on real Snapdragon hardware. The hardware maker describes it as “the perfect testbed for Windows on Snapdragon application developers, an ultra-compact, ultra-efficient computer for a wide variety of home and business applications.”
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The specifications are humbling. The ECS LIVA is powered, such as it is, by an older-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c processor, 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and 64 GB of eMMC storage. It has a very minimal port selection, with one USB 2.0 Type-A port on the side and one USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A port, one USB 2.0 Type-C port, and one full-sized HDMI port on the rear. There’s also a microSD card slot plus Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. Unfortunately, the one USB-C port is tied up by the power supply.
Enthusiasts will probably be more interested in this mini-PC than will be most developers, but be warned that Microsoft is not offering refunds on this purchase. “This product is meant for developers, not consumers,” it says.
Whatever. I ordered one, and I’ll let you know how well, or if, it works as a normal PC. And I will of course upgrade it to Windows 11 for 64-bit app support, which you have to think is part of the point here (for the developer audience).