Microsoft plans to use Windows Embedded to combat rival operating systems in smartbooks and a number of other devices meant to always be connected to the Internet that Microsoft calls CIDs, or consumer Internet devices. In this interview Kevin Dallas, the general manager of Microsoft’s Windows Embedded business, discussed Microsoft’s strategies for smartbooks and other devices, such as the company’s Haiku concept device.
You’d think Microsoft would see the writing on the wall and at least get to work on making .NET Compact Framework more capable and to encourage more apps to be developed, or at the very least try to get a more robust version of Office and Media Player ready for WinCE rather than the old stagnant “pocket” apps they’ve been letting rot all these years. I won’t even mention the joke that has been pocket IE…
While it’s true that right now most linux apps lack visible identity and aren’t marketable to the average user, once these ARM devices come out of the gate, are able to run the same apps as the other Linux netbooks and have double the battery life…I don’t think it will be a pretty picture.
–bornagainpenguin
Windows Embedded != Windows CE.
Windows Embedded = Windows XP.
Anyone else starting to think of XP as that annoying little brother or sister who you can’t get rid of no matter how you might want to?
Windows Embedded actually refers to their entire line of embedded platforms. The .NET MicroFramework was even included at one point, IIRC. The identifier following “Windows Embedded” specifies the platform.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsembedded/en-us/products/whichproduc…
The CE-based versions of Windows Embedded are currently the only Microsoft embedded platforms that support ARM so bornagainenguin’s reference to CE was correct.
CE is one of the Windows Embedded platforms Kevin Dallas addresses in the article.
Edited 2009-07-15 00:57 UTC
n4cer confirmed…
Thanks for the confirmation.
–bornagainpenguin
…is put some love into Windows Mobile. What a stodgy, fossilized cow patty. Of course I only say that because Verizon (an equally, if not more, infuriating company than Microsoft) has no smartphones that run anything besides WinMo or Blackberry OS.
Seriously, though — I have a hard time taking them seriously when they haven’t brought their phone OS (a close relative of CE) beyond circa 2000. I’d prefer using something almost infinitely flexible, like Linux or a *BSD, or purpose-built (read, has good performance and fits the form factor) like Symbian.