Windows, Windows Everywhere

These days, Microsoft is no longer content with just being on your computer screen. The largest software company in the world has repositioned Windows to not only become the operating system for home computers, but also for other devices that we use everyday.

"These embedded devices serve a single purpose," Mike Hall, technical product manager for Windows Embedded, told BetaNews. "Things like ATM machines, a point-of-sale system in a retail store, or a traffic control system."

However, it can be difficult to understand exactly what Microsoft is attempting to offer developers. Hall explained the differences between the two operating systems the company offers as part of the Windows Embedded program.

The two platforms are Windows CE and Windows XP Embedded. Their componentized structure provides many benefits to the developer. "[They] can choose which technologies they want in the final operating system image," Hall explained.

The advantage of this approach is a much smaller version of Windows than currently possible with XP. A standard Windows installation could use up to several gigabytes of space, which an Embedded install shrinks the minimum space down to 40 megabytes, and Windows CE as little as 200 kilobytes.

Hall compared the way the two operating systems work to children's building blocks, where the various components can be combined and taken apart to serve an individual need. "It's like Legos," he said.

Each solution targets a different market. Most know Windows CE from its initial start in 1996 as an operating system for handheld devices

But Windows CE is actually several years older than that, beginning in 1993 when Microsoft embarked on its interactive TV project and Microsoft "Pulsar." Pulsar was described by those who knew it to be a "pager on steroids" with smartphone-like functions, however it never got off the ground as research showed the device was ahead of its time.

The miniature version of Windows became the flagship mobile operating system for Redmond until early this decade when it was replaced by Pocket PC and then Windows Mobile 5.0. However, Hall says not to be fooled by the name. "Windows Mobile 5 is based on Windows CE version 5," he explained.

Windows CE is now positioning itself for uses where power consumption may be a concern. "Putting an x86 processor into some of these devices is just not a good idea," Hall explained, saying most of the processors require a great deal of power to run properly.