Yes, but you can download a bootable win 10 installation from Microsoft. I’ve tried various low cost codes, but haven’t managed to register it yet, although it sits perfectly happily in my ms account alongside various other registered win 10 installations. Think I booted from sd card.
Yes, the nuc has internal Bluetooth, so links to the trainer using that. I also bought a dual band heart strap from Halfords that I only use on the trainer.
The only thing that isn’t seamless is that garmin haven’t got Tacx cloud to sync with garmin connect yet. Hence it goes direct from Tacx to Strava, but I have to use a garmin device to record the training for connect, and then delete that version from Strava - first world problems!
Also, on Garmin and it’s first world problems, they updated the first beat analytics between the edge 1000 and the 530. As a consequence, with physio true up my 530 gives me different training loads to my forerunner 935! Connect now has two records of training status to separate the devices, although both do account for all activities after syncing.