Microsoft reveals Windows Embedded Compact 7 at Computex, hosts heaps of tablets
By Darren Murph 
posted June 2nd 2010 2:31AM
posted June 2nd 2010 2:31AM
Microsoft Outlines Business Opportunities for Hardware Makers Across Windows Platform
Guggenheimer announces Windows Embedded Compact 7 community technology preview for manufacturers of consumer and enterprise devices.
TAIPEI, Taiwan - June 1, 2010 - During a keynote address tomorrow at COMPUTEX TAIPEI, Steve Guggenheimer, corporate vice president of the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Division at Microsoft Corp., will outline how the company continues to deliver expanded partner opportunities to support rich and connected experiences. Product demonstrations will showcase the diversity and breadth of devices supported across the Windows platform, including desktop PCs, smartphones, netbooks, laptops, tablets, slates, game consoles, set-top boxes and servers. He will also discuss the enthusiastic response from partners and the larger market to the latest version of the Windows operating system, Windows 7. Since its launch this past October, more than 100 million licenses have been sold, making it the fastest-selling operating system in history.
As part of this effort to deliver richer customer experiences across a variety of scenarios, Microsoft will unveil the public community technology preview (CTP) for Windows Embedded Compact 7, the next generation of Microsoft's widely used Windows Embedded Compact platform for hardware manufacturers of specialized devices. With a $9.5 billion annual investment in research and development, Microsoft is committed to continued innovation and bringing new products to market that meet the needs of customers.
"The Windows platform creates tangible opportunities for our hardware partners to diversify their product portfolios and deliver rich computing experiences across a broad range of devices," Guggenheimer said. "The Windows Embedded Compact 7 toolkit will allow for richer customer experiences on a variety of specialized devices. We look forward to continued collaboration with our hardware partners to bring the very best experiences to customers worldwide."
Windows Embedded Compact 7
During the keynote address, Guggenheimer will demonstrate how specialized devices built on Windows Embedded Compact 7 will be able to provide immersive multimedia user experiences for consumers and businesses and offer seamless connectivity to PCs running Windows 7, servers and online services, as well as simplified access to corporate information for enterprise users. New technologies in Windows Embedded Compact 7 will provide developers and designers with powerful tools and a streamlined development experience to build compelling devices quickly and easily, while also providing customized and branded experiences.
Additional features and capabilities of Windows Embedded Compact 7 include the following:
•
Rich and connected experiences for consumers. Windows Embedded Compact 7 gives consumers the ability to share and manage content across networked devices with Digital Living Network Alliance, such as new HDTVs, and a new media library.
•
Simplified access to information for enterprise users. Windows Embedded Compact 7 makes it easier to connect to corporate e-mail, calendar and contacts over enterprise networks through Microsoft AirSync and Microsoft Exchange, as well as to Microsoft Office and Adobe PDF viewers to access important documents, and to Windows 7 Device Stage to transfer data and media between PCs and devices.
•
Resources for hardware manufacturers and developers. Windows Embedded Compact 7 provides resources to help bring high-performing, highly reliable and differentiated specialty devices to market quicker with support for multicore and the latest asset relationship management-based architecture and tools, including Platform Builder, Visual Studio, Expression Blend and Silverlight for Windows Embedded.
The Windows Embedded Compact 7 CTP is available now for developers at http://www.windowsembedded.com/compact7. The platform is expected to be released to manufacturing in the fourth quarter of this year.
During the keynote, Guggenheimer will also outline how hardware manufacturers can take advantage of the next wave of Microsoft products, including Windows 7, Windows Embedded Compact 7, Windows Live Messenger, Windows® Phone 7, Windows Server and Microsoft Office 2010, to deliver unique and compelling experiences across multiple devices and screens. He will demonstrate the power of Microsoft software on devices from smartphones to TVs and everything in between; Windows Live as a cloud service working across devices for a seamless, interactive experience; exciting developments on Windows-based slate devices; and a variety of scenarios highlighting the customer benefits of Microsoft's deep collaboration with hardware manufacturers.
Highlights from Guggenheimer's keynote - including demos, video excerpts and a transcript - and more detailed information on Windows Embedded Compact 7 will be available by visiting the Windows Embedded Newsroom at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/embedded/default.aspx or by following http://twitter.com/MSFTWEB for updates.
I smell a tablet surplus in 2011, cheap prices to follow.
@juanvaldez
its feels wrong, The Windows Mobile platform story from which we have all learned that too many products all with different Ui's leads to a mess, a mess that caused MS to reboot WinMo.
the reason none of these will ever outsell the iPad is cause they are too many from random developers, i'm not saying choise is bad but MS should have a Slate to call its own which it should market like iPads to win.
Their just doing what they do best, release plethoras of PCs with windows, phones with windows and now tablets.
Are they scared?
@juanvaldez woah, an array of famous products as well as chinese ones (KIRF?), just for show?
@Zylam
you mean like android? thats sold more than the iphone?
@Zylam This such a dumb comment.. MS has always sold it's OS on multiple OEMs. You don't know a thing about platforms. It's common sense to believe they will out sell iPad/android simple becoz you can do a lot more on win 7. It's a piece of cake to build a skin on top of win 7 where you can have silverlight apps.
Why didn't they offer this alternative to HP prior to the WebOS acquisition?
@juanvaldez Ironically, there will be no usable devices. By usable I mean:
A magnetic power connector, since these are going to be moved around much more than laptops. Tablets will get yanked from users palms by the power cord much more easily.
A 1280x800 resolution is a must for good HD and book reading experience. The on-screen keyboard will be unusable in both portrait and landscape mode on a 600-line 16:9 screen.
Without an IPS panel, sharing of photos or watching a video with a firend or two on such a small screen is impossible. Your significant other is unlikely to approve the purchace if both photos and movies look bad from her angle.
Any and all cavities, especially in plastic, will collect dirt and fluff from the various containers the devices will be carried in. Likely these deposits will eventually be sealed forever by a piece of chewing gum.
@Zylam
Am sorry, Microsoft is primarily a Software company. They make the software, other companies make the hardware; that's why they never really succeeded in any hardware venture except maybe the xbox and even that, is handled by an external company.
I think what they need to focus more on is getting to work with the best hardware companies and be stringent with them. No crapware.
@earthling2 So your definition of "usable" includes only luxury features that aren't really necessary to use the devices
@earthling2 None of those things are actually necessary for slates to be usable. Usability on slates comes much more from the UI than from the power cable. ¬_¬
@Zylam
please, stop saying MS has released PCs.
this is your warning.
next time you will be spanked.
@Zylam
I'm pretty sure that is their business model, you know being a software maker and all. Why should Microsoft get into the hardware business, it's not where their strength lies.
@nabberuk - Android has NOT outsold the iPhone, in the US or globally.
More Android devices than iPhones were indeed shipped in Q1 2010, but that was the one and only quarter so far when they were ahead. iPhones have been on sale much longer than Android devices, and outsold them in every quarter (bar one) when both were available.
I know that MarketWatch used the ambiguous term "marketshare" in their report, but that word can mean "share of overall market i.e. all devices ever sold" as well as "share of current sales". They should have been clearer. Their press release did not come close to stating which meaning they were using! But they were definitely measuring Q1 2010 sales, not overall market share.
Looks like a thick laptop not a slate
@WallEE that's what I was thinking. Waaaaay too thick. And the wide-screen aspect ratio, quite frankly, looks dumb.
"Yet another embedded operating system"? Windows CE has been around since the mid 90's. It's established. This is a good thing.
@Kira
I know, that's what I was thinking. I know some local government agencies use XP embedded for certain applications when the full OS is not needed.
While it seems like Darren is thinking about Mobile OS, I was thinking more along hospital, records, clients, and the like.
@WasAPasserBy
My bad for mistaking CE for embedded. Still, I don't see the point of CE as targeted specifically for phones (yes, it serves as the platform for the Mobile).
Here's the problem with Windows Embedded Compact 7, how's the apps? Based on WinPho7, it won't run Winmo apps, so it starts from scratch. Will developers flock to his platform now? I hope MS pushed some first party killer apps.
@pika2000
No. Just no. WinCE 7 has basically nothing to do with Windows Phone 7.
@Kira Yes, it does. WinPho7 is considered to be a hybrid, using some stuff from WinCE6 and 7. The question is, how's the app compatibility.
@pika2000
The Windows embedded versions don't run "apps." They run full-fleged software, and are stripped down versions of the OS that they are based on.
Thus, Windows 7 CE has NOTHING to do with Windows Phone 7.
@WasAPasserBy Or Windows 7?
I mean, can I run Photoshop on it? What can I or can't I run on it?
@pika2000 your an idiot wince7 has nothing to do with windows phone 7
@WasAPasserBy Hello, we are not talking about Windows Embedded. We are talking about Windows Embedded Compact. Note the word Compact. Please, at least read the headline first.
@Ralven Idiot? Who's the idiot? Winmo is a specialized version of WinCE, which has been renamed to Windows Embedded Compact for the latest version, 7. WinPho7 is sort of a hybrid between WinCE6 and WinEC7.
@WasAPasserBy WTF do you think apps stands for?
applications ( which is software) which is the same damn thing PC OS3-OSX Linux BSD APPLE 1 & 2 Amiga Solaris Unix DOS Java OS/2 Haiku iphone os android webos meemo megoo symbian linux mobile Blackberry OS Every Damn OS on every damn machine made period has run some sort of application/s or app/apps
@Ralven yes it does moron How bout all you idiots GOOGLE it
@pika2000
Oops. Windows CE 7. Not Embedded. I see.
Still,
Winpho 7 is based on CE 6. CE 7 is different.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Embedded_CE_7.0
@DefPoet
I was originally referring to "apps" in the sense that it is used to refer to apps created for the mobile OS, as opposed to Office 2007, Adobe Acrobat, Photoshop, etc, that can be run on Windows Embedded. However since this article is about CE, and not Embedded, my point is moot.
@WasAPasserBy You should read your own wikipedia link.
"Microsoft offically commented on this and said that Windows Phone 7 is currently based off of Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3 with some features borrowed from Windows Embedded CE 7.0, thus making it a hybrid solution."
Read what I've been saying that WinPho7 being a hybrid. Get it? :rolleyes:
@Kira
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/obloch/archive/2010/05/03/windows-ce-is-not-dead.aspx here is the proof "By the Way, Windows Phone 7 is based on the Windows Embedded Compact 7 core"
@pika2000
actually it is based off of the windows 7 compact core as stated this month here
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/obloch/archive/2010/05/03/windows-ce-is-not-dead.aspx
@WasAPasserBy
actually it is based of of core 7
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/obloch/archive/2010/05/03/windows-ce-is-not-dead.aspx
@pika2000
@DefPoet
I dunno. I give up. Is it based on CE 6, with features from 7? Or is it based on CE 7?
@WasAPasserBy
the core is based off of 7 thats the latest info on it we do not know if parts of 6 we're integrated to and probably will never know since MS wants everyone to focus on 7 with this release
@TareG
In theory, yes, it is capable of running large software such as Photoshop, so long as the required components are installed (the installation is very customizable). The issue lies in the fact that embedded typically runs on less capable or less powerful hardware, such as ION, ARM or low-end Atom processors. This means that even though the software environment can theoretically support larger apps, the hardware may not have the necessary capabilities to do so. I hope that answered your question.
Windows Embedded Compact 7! Coming to you in 2015!
@Peter Church srs. this comes out of no where, no rumors or nothing. smells like it was cooked up in the last few weeks when they realized HP Slate wasn't happening thanks to the Palm buyout. Probably not anywhere near ready to ship.
@Peter Church
Paul Chapel! Same ignorant crap, New Name!
MS - Too late to the party, eh? No worries, plenty of competition to give you company…
@GadgetFunkie
Try early (1996, then 2001, then 2009) : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Embedded
@GadgetFunkie lol sorry dude but im gonna have to agree with ^ that guy too early =P
@WasAPasserBy
Or for CE, not embedded/me headline reading fail
1996, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010
LOL at giant iPhone 3G
@Peter F
It's awesome. Too bad it's already been done by the iPad.
i would assume this is the replacement for XP Embedded, and still runs the same sorts of things as normal Windows. just with an ultralight memory footprint now
@sRc No, it's different. There's Windows Embedded, and there's Windows Embedded Compact (previously known as WinCE). Note the word Compact.
@pika2000
Microsoft really know how to confuse issues. What is the reason for changing the name? Also all those tablets are running on atoms (x86). Why not at least have some running on ARM - which would produce slimmer machines - seeing as CE supports both x86 and ARM.
Seeing all those atom machine just makes people think this is just a stripped down version of full fat windows 7.
@pokes I thought that was Windows 7 Basic?
... You're right, they have to cut the confusion.
Why would a manufacturer adopt an expensive platform with a fragmented and weak app base, while a mature, open source and free altrnative is available, which can do exactly what Windows CE is offering?
Linux, Android, Meego... all are very comfortable with 1080p playback, and HW-accelerated flash on their browsers (coming to Android this month)...
Microsoft let itself go, and ended up scraping Photon (which was a pre-iPhone era OS) and offering the rushed off Windows Phone 7...