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Encyclopedia > Windows CE

Updated 293 days 14 hours 20 minutes ago.
Windows CE
Windows CE brand logo
Windows CE for Handheld PC 3.0 (WinCE 2.11 core)
Windows CE for Handheld PC 3.0 (WinCE 2.11 core)
Website: Windows CE
Company/
developer:
Microsoft
OS family: Windows CE
Source model: Closed source (shared source kernel[1])
Latest stable release: 6.0 / November 1, 2006
Kernel type: Hybrid kernel
License: Microsoft EULA
Working state: Current

Windows CE (sometimes abbreviated WinCE) is a variation of Microsoft's Windows operating system for minimalistic computers and embedded systems. Windows CE is a distinctly different kernel, rather than a trimmed-down version of desktop Windows. It is supported on Intel x86 and compatibles, MIPS, ARM, and Hitachi SuperH processors. Image File history File links Windows_CE.GIF Summary Windows CE Brand Logo, Part Of Microsoft Windows Embeddeds Line Of OSs Licensing This is a logo of an organization, item, or event, and is protected by copyright and/or trademark. ... Image File history File links WinCE_3. ... A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos and other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML... It has been suggested that software publisher be merged into this article or section. ... A software developer is a person who is concerned with one or more facets of the software development process, a somewhat broader scope of computer programming or a specialty of project managing. ... Microsoft Corporation, (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is a multinational computer technology corporation with global annual revenue of US$44. ... The text below is generated by a template, which has been proposed for deletion. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... A kernel connects the application software to the hardware of a computer. ... Graphical overview of a hybrid kernel Hybrid kernel is a kernel architecture based on combining aspects of microkernel and monolithic kernel architectures used in computer operating systems. ... A software license is a legal agreement which may take the form of a proprietary or gratuitous license as well as a memorandum of contract between a producer and a user of computer software. ... A software license is a type of proprietary or gratiuitious license as well as a memorandum of contract between a producer and a user of computer software — sometimes called an End User License Agreement (EULA) — that specifies the perimeters of the permission granted by the owner to the... Microsoft Corporation, (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is a multinational computer technology corporation with global annual revenue of US$44. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the lead section of this article may need to be expanded. ... // An operating system (OS) is a set of computer programs that manage the hardware and software resources of a computer. ... It has been suggested that Embedded System Design in an FPGA be merged into this article or section. ... A kernel connects the application software to the hardware of a computer. ... Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC, SEHK: 4335), founded in 1968 as Integrated Electronics Corporation, is an American multinational corporation that is best known for designing and manufacturing microprocessors and specialized integrated circuits. ... x86 or 80x86 is the generic name of a microprocessor architecture first developed and manufactured by Intel. ... A MIPS R4400 microprocessor made by Toshiba. ... ARMs headquarters in Cambridge The ARM architecture (originally the Acorn RISC Machine) is a RISC processor architecture that is widely used in a number of applications. ... Hitachi may refer to: Hitachi (train) trains in Melbourne, Australia. ... The SuperHichem (or SH) is brandname of a certain microcontroller and microprocessor architecture. ...

Contents

[edit] Features

Windows CE is optimized for devices that have minimal storage—a Windows CE kernel may run in under a megabyte of memory. Devices are often configured without disk storage, and may be configured as a “closed” system that does not allow for end user extension (for instance, it can be burned into ROM). Windows CE conforms to the definition of a real-time operating system, with a deterministic interrupt latency. It supports 256 priority levels and uses priority inheritance for dealing with priority inversion. The fundamental unit of execution is the thread. This helps to simplify the interface and improve execution time. The terms storage (U.K.) or memory (U.S.) refer to the parts of a digital computer that retain physical state (data) for some interval of time, possibly even after electrical power to the computer is turned off. ... Read-only memory (usually known by its acronym, ROM) is a class of storage media used in computers and other electronic devices. ... A real-time operating system (RTOS) is a multitasking operating system intended for real-time applications. ... In computer science, priority inheritance is a method for eliminating priority inversion problems. ... In scheduling, priority inversion is the inverting the relative priorities of the two tasks. ... Many programming languages, operating systems, and other software development environments support what are called threads of execution. ...


Microsoft has stated that the ‘CE’ is not an intentional initialism, but many people believe CE stands for ‘Consumer Electronics’ or ‘Compact Edition’; users often disparagingly called it “Wince”.[citation needed] Microsoft says it implies a number of Windows CE design precepts, including “Compact, Connectable, Compatible, Companion, and Efficient.”[2] The first version, known during development under the codename “Pegasus”, featured a Windows-like GUI and a number of Microsoft's popular applications, all trimmed down for smaller storage, memory, and speed of the palmtops of the day. Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations formed from the initial letter or letters of words, such as NATO and XHTML, and are pronounced in a way that is distinct from the full pronunciation of what the letters stand for. ... A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used clandestinely to refer to another name or word. ... GUI can refer to the following: GUI is short for graphical user interface, a term used to describe a type of interface in computing. ...


Since then, Windows CE has evolved into a component-based, embedded, real-time operating system. It is no longer only targeted at hand-held computers. Many platforms have been based on the core Windows CE operating system, including Microsoft's AutoPC, Pocket PC 2000, Pocket PC 2002, Mobile 2003, Mobile 2003 SE, Mobile 5.0, Mobile 6.0 Smartphone 2002, Smartphone 2003 and many industrial devices and embedded systems. Windows CE even powered select games for the Sega Dreamcast, was the operating system of the controversial Gizmondo handheld, and can partially run on modified Microsoft Xbox game consoles. The AutoPC is the integration of a personal computer in an automotive environment. ... Windows Mobile is a compact operating system combined with a suite of basic applications for mobile devices based on the Microsoft Win32 API. Devices which run Windows Mobile include Pocket PCs, Smartphones, and Portable Media Centers. ... Windows Mobile is a compact operating system combined with a suite of basic applications for mobile devices based on the Microsoft Win32 API. Devices which run Windows Mobile include Pocket PCs, Smartphones, and Portable Media Centers. ... Windows Mobile is a compact operating system combined with a suite of basic applications for mobile devices based on the Microsoft Win32 API. Devices which run Windows Mobile include Pocket PCs, Smartphones, and Portable Media Centers. ... Windows Mobile is a compact operating system combined with a suite of basic applications for mobile devices based on the Microsoft Win32 API. Devices which run Windows Mobile include Pocket PCs, Smartphones, and Portable Media Centers. ... A smartphone or sphone is any electronic handheld device that integrates the functionality of a mobile phone, personal digital assistant (PDA) or other information appliance. ... A smartphone or sphone is any electronic handheld device that integrates the functionality of a mobile phone, personal digital assistant (PDA) or other information appliance. ... Sega Corporation ) is a Japanese multinational video game software and hardware developing company, and a former home computer and console manufacturer. ... The Dreamcast , code-named White Belt, Black Belt, Dural, Dricas, Vortex, Katana, Shark and Guppy during development) is Segas final video game console and the successor to the Sega Saturn. ... The Gizmondo handheld video game unit. ... Xbox and a Controller S The Xbox is Microsofts game console, released on November 15, 2001. ...


A distinctive feature of Windows CE compared to other Microsoft operating systems is that large parts of it are offered in source code form. First, source code was offered to several vendors, so they could adjust it to their hardware. Then products like Platform Builder (an integrated environment for Windows CE OS image creation and integration, or customized operating system designs based on CE) offered several components in source code form to the general public. However, a number of core components that do not need adaptation to specific hardware environments (other than the CPU family) are still distributed in binary form only.


[edit] Relationship to Windows Mobile, Pocket PC, and SmartPhone

Often Windows CE, Windows Mobile, and Pocket PC are used interchangeably. This practice is not entirely accurate. Windows CE is a modular/componentized operating system that serves as the foundation of several classes of devices. Some of these modules provide subsets of other components' features (e.g. varying levels of windowing support; DCOM vs COM), others which are mutually exclusive (Bitmap or TrueType font support), and others which add additional features to another component. One can buy a kit (the Platform Builder) which contains all these components and the tools with which to develop a custom platform. Applications such as Excel Mobile/Pocket Excel are not part of this kit. The older Handheld PC version of Pocket Word and several other older applications are included as samples, however. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1592x920, 119 KB) Summary I created this file using Microsoft Visio 2003. ... The Dell Axim x30, a Pocket PC A Pocket PC, abbreviated P/PC or PPC, is a handheld-sized computer that runs a specific version of the Windows CE operating system. ... DCOM (Distributed Component Object Model) is a Microsoft proprietary technology for software components distributed across several networked computers. ... Component Object Model (COM) is a Microsoft platform for software componentry introduced by Microsoft in 1993. ... An assortment of bitmap fonts from the first version of the Macintosh operating system A bitmap font is one that stores each glyph as an array of pixels (that is, a bitmap). ... TrueType is an outline font standard originally developed by Apple Computer in the late 1980s as a competitor to Adobes Type 1 fonts used in PostScript. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Windows CE. (Discuss) The Platform Builder for Windows CE is an integrated development environment (IDE) for building customized embedded operating system designs based on the Microsoft Windows CE OS. ls Categories: | | ... Windows Mobile is a compact operating system combined with a suite of basic applications for mobile devices based on the Microsoft Win32 API. Devices which run Windows Mobile include Pocket PCs, Smartphones, and Portable Media Centers. ...


Windows Mobile is best described as a subset of platforms based on a Windows CE underpinning. Currently, Pocket PC (now called Windows Mobile for Pocket PC), SmartPhone, and PocketPC Phone Edition are the three main platforms under the Windows Mobile umbrella. Each platform utilizes different components of Windows CE, as well as supplemental features and applications suited for their respective devices.


Pocket PC and Windows Mobile is a Microsoft-defined custom platform for general PDA use, and consists of a Microsoft-defined set of minimum profiles (Professional Edition, Premium Edition) of software and hardware that is supported. The rules for manufacturing a Pocket PC device are stricter than those for producing a custom Windows CE-based platform. The defining characteristics of the Pocket PC are the digitizer as the primary Human Interface Device and its extremely portable size. In telecommunication and computing, the term digitizer has the following meanings: A device that converts an analog signal into a digital representation of the analog signal. ... A human interface device or HID is a type of computer device that interacts directly with and takes input from humans, such as the computer keyboard, computer mouse, joystick, graphics tablet, and the like. ...


The SmartPhone platform is a feature rich OS and interface for cellular phone handsets. SmartPhone offers productivity features to business users, such as email, as well as multimedia capabilities for consumers. The SmartPhone interface relies heavily on joystick navigation and PhonePad input. Devices running SmartPhone do not include a touchscreen interface. SmartPhone devices generally resemble other cellular handset form factors, whereas most Phone Edition devices use a PDA form factor with a larger display.


Windows Mobile 5 supports USB 2.0 and new devices running this OS will also conform to the USB Mass Storage Class, meaning the storage on PPC can be accessed from any USB-equipped PC, without requiring any extra software, except requiring a compliant host. In other words, you can use it as a flash drive.


[edit] Competing products

Competitors to consumer CE based PDA platforms like Pocket PC – the main application of Windows CE – are Java, Symbian OS, Palm OS and Linux based packages like Qtopia Embedded Linux environment from Trolltech, Convergent Linux Platform from a La Mobile, and Access Linux Platform from Orange and Access. Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition, or J2ME, is a collection of Java APIs targeting embedded consumer products such as PDAs, cell phones and other consumer appliances. ... Symbian OS is a proprietary operating system, designed for mobile devices, with associated libraries, user interface frameworks and reference implementations of common tools, produced by Symbian Ltd. ... Palm OS is a compact operating system developed and licensed by PalmSource, Inc. ... Screenshot of Qtopia Pdas Launcher Qtopia is Trolltechs application platform for embedded Linux based PDAs, mobile phones, web pads, and other mobile computing devices. ... Trolltech (formerly known as Quasar Technologies) is a computer software company from Oslo, Norway. ... The Access Linux Platform is a next-generation version of the Palm OS, with application compatibility layers for Java, classic Palm OS, GTK+, and GNU/Linux shell applications. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... ACCESS Co. ...


The secondary usage of CE is in devices in need of graphical user interfaces (point of sale terminals, media centers, web tablets, thin clients) the main selling point for CE being the look and feel of the familiar desktop Windows. The competition is Windows XP, Linux and graphical packages for simpler embedded operating systems.


Being an RTOS, Windows CE is also theoretically a competitor to any realtime operating system in the embedded space, like VxWorks, iTRON or eCos. The dominating method, however, of mixing Windows look and feel with realtime on the same hardware, is to run double operating systems using some virtualization technology, like Intime from TenAsys [1] in the case of Windows and OS Ware from VirtualLogix, Padded Cell from Green Hills Software, OKL4 from Open Kernel Labs, Trango Hypervisor from Trango or PikeOS from Sysgo, in case of the competition. A Real Time Operating System or RTOS is an operating system that has been developed for real-time applications. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... This article is in need of attention. ... The correct title of this article is . ... Green Hills Software, headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, USA, is a company that markets operating systems and development tools for embedded systems. ... L4 is, collectively, a family of related computer programs. ... PikeOS is a real-time operating system made by SYSGO AG. External links Offical site Categories: | ...


[edit] Uses for older Windows CE devices

Some people have used their older Windows CE devices, such as Ver.2.11 and 2.0 to make a web server. They have even installed NetBSD to their Windows CE devices. CEHTTP is one of the most popular web server programs for Windows CE devices, and is relatively stable. NetBSD is a freely redistributable, open source version of the Unix-like BSD computer operating system. ...


Other people can use The Core Pocket Media Player (formerly known as BetaPlayer), which is available for free, to view MPEG, AVI, MPEG4 and MP3 on their old machines. The Core Pocket Media Player (TCPMP) is a software media player. ...


There is also a Python environment ported for Handheld PC devices, as well as a Scheme environment. Free Pascal even allows compiling Delphi code to it. Python is a high-level programming language first released by Guido van Rossum in 1991. ... Scheme is a multi-paradigm programming language. ... The FreePascal IDE for Linux. ... Object Pascal is an object oriented derivative of Pascal mostly known as the primary programming language of Borland Delphi. ...


Also, for the Sega Dreamcast, a small motif embedded in the plastic says "Compatible with Windows CE". This video game system has no Windows CE inside, but the hardware is compatible. Microsoft built a custom version to be launched from the software (from the optical disc). Only a few games have used this feature.[citation needed] The Dreamcast , code-named Dural, Dricas and Katana during development) is Segas fifth and final video game console and the successor to the Sega Saturn. ...


[edit] See also

ActiveSync is a synchronisation program developed by Microsoft Corporation. ... A Handheld PC, or H/PC for short, is a Microsoft term for a computer built around a form factor which is smaller than any standard notebook PC or laptop. ... Handheld PC Explorer, or as it is more commonly referred to, H/PC Explorer was the Windows PC host client for the inaugural generation of Microsoft Windows CE embedded PC companion devices the Handheld PC. // There were two releases of H/PC Explorer. ... Palm-Size PC A Palm-Size PCs start menu The Palm-Size PC was Microsofts first attempt at a computer conforming to an in your hand profile (or, as commonly referred to, a PDA). ... The Dell Axim x30, a Pocket PC A Pocket PC, abbreviated P/PC or PPC, is a handheld-sized computer that runs a specific version of the Windows CE operating system. ... Windows Mobile is a compact operating system combined with a suite of basic applications for mobile devices based on the Microsoft Win32 API. Devices which run Windows Mobile include Pocket PCs, Smartphones, and Portable Media Centers. ... A Tablet PC is a notebook- or slate-shaped mobile computer. ... This is a list of Pocket PC and Windows CE devices, and companies that make, or have made, them. ... Windows CE 6. ...

[edit] Notes and references

Microsoft Corporation, (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is a multinational computer technology corporation with global annual revenue of US$44. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

[edit] External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Windows CE Home Page (515 words)
Windows Embedded CE Componentized, real-time operating system and powerful tools for a wide range of small print devices.
This is a set of updates for Windows Embedded CE Builder released during the period of September 1-September 30, 2007.
These Microsoft Windows Embedded CE updates are fixes for Windows Embedded CE operating system problems you run into during the development and maintenance of your custom platform.
Symantec Security Response Weblog: More on Windows CE/Mobile 5 (592 words)
Also, port 2948/udp was the port Collin Mulliner utilized in his MMS research on Windows Mobile 2003 SE (Windows CE 4.2) to demonstrate remote code execution on Windows Mobile (which I’ve yet to see a formal advisory be released from Microsoft about – or patch for that matter).
However, Windows CE/Mobile is gaining popularity in North America that can’t be disputed (and also in Europe, although to a lesser degree).
Hopefully, what the past two entries on Windows CE/Mobile have shown is that the level of security on these devices will be a problem, such as it has been on the desktop.
  More results at FactBites »

 

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