Windows Embedded Family Introduction

By Staff
2003-10-13

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This 17 page Microsoft whitepaper introduces the products that comprise the Windows Embedded family of operating systems: Microsoft Windows CE .NET and Windows XP Embedded. It chronicles the history of the Windows Embedded family and Microsoft's commitment to the embedded market, and details the benefits of using Windows Embedded operating system software for your embedded devices.

From the introduction . . .

Today, the Windows Embedded family of operating systems includes:

Microsoft Windows CE .NET -- combines an advanced real-time embedded operating system with the most powerful tools for rapidly creating the next generation of smart, connected, and small-footprint devices.
Windows XP Embedded -- delivers the power of the Windows operating system in componentized form, enabling embedded developers to rapidly build reliable and advanced embedded devices.

Microsoft's mission in this thriving embedded market is to deliver adaptable and scalable platforms for 32-bit, connected devices that enable rich applications and services. To this end, a dedicated group with strong executive sponsorship was formed at Microsoft to support the research and development of the Windows Embedded family of products as well as the internal and external customers who use them. The strategy of the Embedded Devices Group (EDG) has been to deliver the best software building blocks and tools to enable those rich devices and device experiences; invest in selected, go-to-market solutions such as the Pocket PC and Windows CE for Automotive; and enable users to take advantage of rich applications and services through support for .NET.

Microsoft officially entered the embedded marketplace in November of 1996 with the release of Windows CE 1.0. Windows CE was designed from the ground up to provide embedded developers with the ability to extend the "sophisticated software environment of today's personal computer into the embedded world," according to Craig Mundie, then Senior VP of the Consumer Platforms Division at Microsoft. Windows CE originally was developed for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) building small, resource constrained-primarily handheld and Personal Information Manager (PIM) devices. Windows CE saw significant improvements with subsequent versions of the operating system, including a simplified, wizard-based operating system configuration, export software development kits (SDKs) to enable application development, multimedia support with version 2.12, and enhanced Internet capabilities and support for hard real time with Windows CE 3.0. Now in its fourth generation, Windows CE .NET offers a time-tested and sophisticated feature set consisting of the latest technologies for developers that create smart-mobile and small-footprint devices.

After the release of Windows CE, Microsoft quickly discovered that many embedded developers were building a wide range of non-PC devices that were neither small nor resource constrained and could benefit from a PC-based architecture, an enhanced set of features, richer functionality and greater scalability than what Windows CE could provide at the time. In 1999, to compliment its embedded offerings, Microsoft delivered Windows NT Embedded to the market, thereby providing embedded developers with greater choice and flexibility as well as access to the rich Windows feature set. For example, customers used Windows NT Embedded to build manufacturing, telecommunications, and multimedia devices. In 2001, Microsoft released Windows XP Embedded, the successor to Windows NT Embedded, which provides a wealth of new features created for the mainstream operating system, and is available for the embedded marketplace in componentized form. Between Windows CE .NET and Windows XP Embedded, Windows Embedded operating systems are now servicing a wide variety of embedded devices-ranging from small, handheld PIM devices to large industrial automation machines-all with highly customized device designs, requiring a flexible platform, easy-to-use development tools, and access to the latest networking, communications, and multimedia technologies.

Together, the products that comprise the Windows Embedded Family provide embedded developers with the flexibility to select the platform that is right for their embedded projects. Windows Embedded operating systems enable greater developer productivity through streamlined development tools as well as faster time-to-market for original equipment manufacturers and embedded developers seeking to address the demand for specialized and embedded devices . . .

Read the full whitepaper here . . .

Windows Embedded Family Introduction

(356KB Word file download)

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