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Microsoft delivers its 'other' tablet operating system: Windows Embedded Compact 7

By | March 1, 2011, 9:05am PST

Microsoft announced general availability on March 1 of the final version of its Windows Embedded Compact 7 operating system, codenamed “Chelan.”

Microsoft posted a 180-day trial version of the final Windows Embedded Compact 7 bits to the Microsoft Download Center on February 28. (Microsoft officials refused to say when the Compact 7 product actually RTM’d, but @UltraWindows notes the digital signature on the bits is February 19, 2011.)

(click on the slide to enlarge)

The newest Embedded Compact operating system is designed to power phones (including Windows Phones), medical devices, industrial automation products and retail systems, as well as slates/tablets.

For the last several months, a number of Microsoft OEMs have been touting new slates and tablets that will be running Compact 7. Microsoft officials have attempted to distinguish slates and tablets running full Windows 7 from those running Compact 7 by saying those running the Windows Embedded Compact OS are meant to be consumption devices, rather than consumption and creation devices.

Microsoft’s first “real” tablet/slate OS is considered by many to be Windows 8, which is seemingly on track to be released to manufacturing in 2012.

The Windows Embedded Compact 7 product — the evolution of Windows Embedded CE — includes several new features. Among them:

* Support for ARM v7
* New developer and designer tools
* New technology for creating user interfaces
* New SMP (symmetric multiprocessing) support for x86 & ARM, MIPS
* New multimedia player, with customizable UI
* New version of Internet Explorer (which is based on IE 7 with some “performance updates” from IE 8)
* Flash 10.1 support (which requires an Adobe license by OEMs who want to include that feature)
* Silverlight for Embedded support
* Improved Connectivity to PCs, servers (NDIS 6.1 support)

Silverlight for Embedded enables OEMs to create custom interfaces, using XAML and native C++, “free from Windows chrome,” meaning the surrounding usual Windows user-interface elements. Here’s a slide from a recent Microsoft presentation to OEMs that outlines the new Silverlight for Embedded feature in Compact 7:

Go to the next page for more Microsoft slides and information about Windows Embedded Compact 7

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Topics

Operating System, OEM, Microsoft Corp., Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems, Tablets, Software, Hardware, Notebooks & Tablets, Mary Jo Foley

Mary Jo has covered the tech industry for more than 25 years for a variety of publications and Web sites, and is a frequent guest on radio, TV and podcasts, speaking about all things Microsoft-related. She is the author of Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft plans to stay relevant in the post-Gates era (John Wiley & Sons, 2008).

Disclosure

Mary-Jo Foley

Freelance journalist/blogger Mary Jo Foley has nothing to disclose. WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). I do not own Microsoft stock or stock in any of its partners or competitors. I have no business ventures that are sponsored by/funded by Microsoft or any of its partners or competitors.

Biography

Mary-Jo Foley

Mary Jo Foley has covered the tech industry for 25 years for a variety of publications, including ZDNet, eWeek and Baseline. She has kept close tabs on Microsoft strategy, products and technologies for the past 10 years. In the late 1990s, she penned the award-winning "At The Evil Empire" column for ZDNet, and more recently the Microsoft Watch blog for Ziff Davis.

Got a tip? Send her an email with your rants, rumors, tips and tattles. Confidentiality guaranteed.

Talkback Most Recent of 58 Talkback(s)

  • Message has been deleted.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    techvet
    1st Mar
  • Oops they did it again
    Someone needs to tell them that having all these variations of technologies does not work very well for us developers. I mean why use C++ when we have invested all this work on .NET/WPF/Silverlight/etc?

    Couldn't they get it to work fast enough or write a more efficient garbage collector? The W7 phones did not show performance problems... It all sounds very weird and I don't think retooling is very appealing to most developers.

    I would consider retooling if their devices were runaway hits, but let's be honest, with RIM, Androids, iOs, et al using a much more consistent model and actually being so far in the horizon in terms of sales, I doubt I will go back to the horrible language that is C++ (just ask Linus, Ken, James, Anders, etc.) just to program a couple of unproven M$ platforms.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    nicholas22
    1st Mar
  • RE: Microsoft delivers its 'other' tablet operating system: Windows Embedded Compact 7
    @nicholas22
    FYI, iOS - Objective C is a variant of C++. And Win EC7 supports both Silverlight (.NET) and C++. And Win EC is used to power mobile phones, POS, Medical Equipment, Industrial components that are used at various places like manufacturing, service centers etc. And now this also supports Tablets/slates.
    >>The newest Embedded Compact operating system is designed to power phones (including Windows Phones), medical devices, industrial automation products and retail systems, as well as slates/tablets.

    Ok, I got it you are just here to bash Microsoft. Never mind.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Rama.NET
    1st Mar
  • RE: Microsoft delivers its 'other' tablet operating system: Windows Embedded Compact 7
    @Rama.NET >>you are just here to bash Microsoft.

    And you are here for what? To tell me how great .NET is?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    nicholas22
    1st Mar
  • Actually, I get it, you have not figured out yet that Microsoft is
    irrelevant in mobile / embedded.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    DonnieBoy
    1st Mar
  • RE: Microsoft delivers its 'other' tablet operating system: Windows Embedded Compact 7
    @nicholas22
    I come here to learn about newer technologies and information. But I couldn't resist myself after seeing your response. You are thinking that RIM, Android, iOS can only be used to do slates/tablets. I am telling there is more than that. Also you said why they are not supporting .NET, so I said they are supporting it in addition to C++. It has C++ interface because it is also used for embedded computing, which is the prime target for Win EC7 in addition to WP7. Nowhere in my response I praised .NET or undermined whatever technology you are thinking is great.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Rama.NET
    1st Mar
  • RE: Microsoft delivers its 'other' tablet operating system: Windows Embedded Compact 7
    @DonnieBoy
    Microsoft is one of the leading providers for industrial automation, medical equiment etc. There is business more than just mobile phones and tablets/slates. Please learn that fact first.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Rama.NET
    1st Mar
  • Donnieboy gets Slam Dunked!!
    @Rama.NET
    I guess DonnieBoy is learning how irrelevant he is.

    He just can't get anything right anymore!
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Will Farrell
    1st Mar
  • RE: Microsoft delivers its 'other' tablet operating system: Windows Embedded Compact 7
    @Rama.NET : Just a quick note. Objective C is not a variant from C++.

    Rather C++ and Objective C are derivatives of plain old C.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    cosuna
    1st Mar
  • RE: Microsoft delivers its 'other' tablet operating system: Windows Embedded Compact 7
    @Rama.NET

    Objective C is not a variant of C++. Its more an extension of C.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    andrewjg
    1st Mar
  • RE: Microsoft delivers its 'other' tablet operating system: Windows Embedded Compact 7
    @cosuna and @andrewjg
    I know that and it was too quick from me to say it is variant of C++. Actually you are right it is an extension of C. But the concept of Objective-C is similar to C++ i.e. interfaces/classes, properties, data encapsulation, private and public methods etc. Lame me to say it is variant of C++.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Rama.NET
    1st Mar
  • Objective-C is NOT a "variant" of C
    @Rama.NET
    It's just plain wrong to call Objective-C a variant of C++. It's an entirely different OOP branch from C. It has NOTHING to do with C++. Both Objective-C and C++ can be seen as descending from C, but they're different (and unrelated) branches.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    David513b
    1st Mar
  • Objective C
    @Rama.NET
    Objective C is not a variant of C++, it is an extension of ANSI C. Objective C has more in common with Smalltalk than it does with C++.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    mjtomlin71
    1st Mar
  • RE: Microsoft delivers its 'other' tablet operating system: Windows Embedded Compact 7
    @Rama.NET - i didnt gather any MS bashing at all. just honest pragmatism. i have a lot invested in .NET, and little in C++.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    mdelvecchio
    1st Mar
  • RE: Microsoft delivers its 'other' tablet operating system: Windows Embedded Compact 7
    @ David513b & @mjtomlin71
    Did you guys really read the entire thread before bashing me? I accepted that was a mistake to say Objective-C as variant of C++. My bad, I replied back to @cosuna and @andrewjg. Please stop it. Otherwise I think you both as blind fanbois who have no passion for technology. I have 100% passion for technology and I don't care about its manufacturer. Of course I do have issues with businesses and their products like MotoBlur from Motorola, but thats all.

    @mdelvecchio
    So what do you call about this?
    I would consider retooling if their devices were runaway hits, but let's be honest, with RIM, Androids, iOs, et al using a much more consistent model and actually being so far in the horizon in terms of sales, I doubt I will go back to the horrible language that is C++ (just ask Linus, Ken, James, Anders, etc.) just to program a couple of unproven M$ platforms.

    First of all MS is not M$, only Microsoft bashers tend to write in that way to show their hatred against it. Secondly, Microsoft has been in the business of embedded marketing for a long time and if you really look into the image that Mary Jo put, it speaks for itself. The addition to already existing platform in its next version is supporting Silverlight and thus Tablets/Slates.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Rama.NET
    1st Mar
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