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Microsoft releases Windows Embedded Compact 7
Microsoft shipped Windows Embedded Compact 7 on Monday about a month after the last refresh of the community technology preview in late January. The 32-bit operating system for device manufacturers is Microsoft's successor to Windows Embedded CE 6.0.
The componentized OS, designed for ARM-based processors, is used for mobile, home and industrial devices. It targets original equipment manufacturers and independent software developers creating products such as barcode scanners, GPS navigation equipment, kiosks, electronic readers, gaming devices and video set-top boxes, among others.
The Windows Embedded Compact 7 OS can be crammed down to a footprint as small as 500 kilobytes. It has a 10-year product lifecycle and runs 32-bit Windows applications, with built-in viewer support for Adobe Flash 10.1 and "Microsoft Office 97, 2000, 2003, XP & 2007," according to Microsoft's description.
The new features in Windows Embedded Compact 7 include the Silverlight for Windows Embedded UI Framework, based on Silverlight 3.0, which enables developers to create user interfaces via Microsoft Expression Blend 3 and Windows Embedded Silverlight Tools. Interfaces such as touch, multitouch and gesture are supported. However, developers still need to use Visual Studio 2008 Professional or Team Edition, along with Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1. Visual Studio 2010 does not support Windows Embedded development.
Embedded Internet Explorer is included, based on the core IE code used in Windows Phone 7. The association with Windows phone likely means that Windows Embedded Compact 7 will include IE 9 browser technology. Microsoft explained last month that Windows phones will use the same basic IE 9 browsing engine that's used on PCs.
Connections with other devices are enabled with the Connection Manager and Windows Device Stage in Windows Embedded Compact 7. Remote synchronization of content, calendars and e-mail data is enabled via Microsoft's AirSync technology. The cloud connectivity capability can enable greater personalization on devices for things like digital patient records, according to D'Arcy Salzmann, product manager of Windows Embedded Compact 7, in a Microsoft-produced video. Hewlett-Packard and Wyse Technology are two of the OEMs named by Microsoft that are building thin clients running Windows Embedded Compact 7 that will leverage the Internet cloud for more interactive user experiences.
Another Microsoft partner, Beckhoff Automation, has created a robot built on Windows Embedded Standard 7. The handheld touch-screen control device for the robot is based on Microsoft's Windows Embedded Compact 7. Microsoft is also partnering with OEMs NEC and Siemens on the new compact OS. At the chip level, Microsoft is working with OEMs Intel, Freescale and Texas Instruments, according to its announcement.
Download the Windows Embedded Compact 7 Evaluation Edition toolkit, which includes the Platform Builder plug-in to Visual Studio 2008 Professional here. The evaluation SDK requires an activation key and expires after 180 days without a license.
About the Author
Kurt Mackie is online news editor, Enterprise Group, at 1105 Media Inc.