PCs have become essential tools in our daily lives, used for both work and leisure. One of their main advantages is their flexibility. Whether we purchase a desktop or laptop computer, we can continue using it for many years if its components endure. If we have a computer using Arm64 (the 64-bit version of Arm), it’s also possible to have an up-to-date operating system. Despite Windows 11 requiring high specifications for these devices, Tiny11 Core allows us to have an optimized version of Windows 11 for Arm64.
It’s not the end of the world for those with older computers that cannot update their operating system. Many people buy pre-built PCs, and some still use computers that came with Windows 7 pre-installed or even older operating systems. Having outdated components that are not compatible with modern operating systems doesn’t mean things can’t change. Some alternatives include lightweight Linux distributions or optimized versions of Windows for less powerful PCs.
Tiny11 Core enables Windows 11 on Arm devices and can be installed from a 4 GB USB drive.
Earlier this year, Tiny10 and Tiny11 emerged, smaller versions of Windows that take up less space and require less powerful PCs. As a result, they offer improved performance overall and can be used on older PCs. Tiny10 allowed Windows 10 on computers with 2 GB of RAM and 32-bit systems, taking up only 5.2 GB of space. This was replaced by Tiny11, the updated version designed for low-spec Windows 11 PCs.
Now we have a new alternative called Tiny11 Core, a version requiring even fewer specifications, as it’s intended for use on Arm64 devices. Unlike Windows 11, which needs 64 GB of storage or the initial version of Tiny11 that required 16 GB, Tiny11 Core has been minimized, installable on a 4 GB USB drive.
The ISO file occupies only 3.1 GB and uses 176 MB of RAM.
This extreme reduction in size for Tiny11 Core was achieved by streamlining Windows 11 as much as possible. This involved shrinking the list of features in this version, and those that remain have been trimmed. These sacrifices allow the Tiny11 Core ISO to occupy only 3.1 GB and be used on low-power devices. The minimum system requirements state that it can be run with 176 MB of RAM.
Additionally, Tiny11 Core has been updated to Windows 11 23H2, the latest major update received from Microsoft’s operating system. However, before you try Tiny11 Core on your Raspberry Pi or other Arm-based low-power devices, be aware that it’s a “development build”, recommended only for testing purposes and not as a stable long-term system. This is because features like Windows Update have been removed, making security less robust than the original version.