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Microsoft releases Windows Embedded Standard 7
IN A HAIL of marketing speak Microsoft has proudly announced the release of its Windows Embedded Standard 7 (WES7), talking up its 'unique branded experience', immersive technology and componentised format.
By using WES7, the Vole's customers can deliver the "power, familiarity and reliability" (sic) of the Windows 7 OS and thrust it onto PCs, servers, thin clients, set top boxes and televisions, if not wristwatches, toasters, microwave ovens and riding lawnmowers, seemingly at their will.
This means that from now on any equipment manufacturer will be able to add a version of the Windows 7 operating system to its gadgets, and additional support for Microsoft's Windows Media Player might make this particularly suited to devices that merge television viewing with Internet browsing.
"With the release of Windows Embedded Standard 7, Microsoft has furthered its commitment to the integration of Windows 7 technologies in the specialised consumer and enterprise device markets by providing OEMs with the latest innovative technologies to differentiate through rich, immersive user experiences and streamlined connectivity," said Kevin Dallas, general manager of the Windows Embedded business unit at Microsoft.
"The addition of the Windows Media Center feature in Windows Embedded Standard 7 is driving the set-top box, connected media device and TV markets by providing OEMs with opportunities to develop uniquely branded experiences and service providers with capabilities to explore additional revenue streams with unique content through a centralised media hub in the home," he burbled.
Windows 7 will let OEMs add things like touch, parental controls and other security features to devices, and in some cases we imagine it might also add a blue screen and perhaps a warning message.
It is too early to tell, though. µ
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How will Microsoft plug all the monthly and weekly security holes in firmware code? And if they did, would you not have to "reboot it" afterwards?
I thought the whole idea of devices relying on embedded code was RELIABILITY, and SECURITY...devices like Linux-powered Internet routers, set-top DVRs, programmable controllers need to run 24/7 without a hiccup, without worries, without constant patching. And also, without cost (something that Microsoft cannot understand).
I predict yet another epic failure for the Vole.
"Embedded" is a really loose term for this OS. Anyone who's ever spent some time trying to cram windows into unlikely sizes will know this.
Back in the day... Windows 95a in 16mb.
Windows NT4 workstation in 32mb
Annoyingly Windows XP embedded minimum was 50mb at the time. I only had a 32mb flash drive for this particular project.
Shell32.dll. Take a look at that puppy. NT was ~2mb, XP 8+. 6mb of it was icons.
Ok, so flash is very cheap these days, but the size also directly impacts performance. Trimming it down is very possible, but very difficult once it's an end product.
I suspect that if Microsoft were to trim and optimise, Windows 7's core functionality could be delivered in ~100mb.
Further to this, it seems interesting that NTFS compression hasn't been updated to suit embedded devices better.
Lets face it, embedded devices are not designed to be written to often at all.
They're also reasonably likely to be read from quite slow flash drives.
A fast decompress, slow compress option like 7zip would be a good addition for these devices. Read speeds could realistically double or triple, while write speeds would probably barely suffer unless the CPU was really really lame.
All of that said, Windows 7 embedded will eventually become the mainstream embedded platform, but don't expect it to happen quickly.
Windows NT4 Embedded is still heavily used (with USB) for such mundane tasks as store checkouts. Why haven't they upgraded? There is quite literally no need to. They are firewalled and functional.
I don't get how people think Microsoft have lost the phone market. I have tried Android, and whilst I like it's open-sauceyness I find it quite impractical for daily use. I have tried Iphones, but far too expensive and you have to jailbreak it to get any decent experience.
Personally I love WinMo 6.5 - I think is probably the most stable, user friendly, and developed OS around.
Strange, I generally don't support anything the MS do, but on this occasion I find myself doing just that!
Microsoft has lost the embedded market, just like it has lost the phone market.
Microsoft wedded itself to x86, when the rest of the world migrated to ARM processors. Microsoft has failed in producing a decent ARM OS.
Android and embedded Linux will take over.
Windows == the mower would occasionally just stop and you have to restart it and every tuesday someone shows up and demands to fix a safety issue.
OSX == the mower is nice and shiny, will only mow Fescue, costs twice as much, and you can only buy your petrol from one station on the other side of town
Linux == mows great and can also be used as a snow blower, can opener and food processor. but if the blade gets dull you need to mine some iron ore, smelt it into steel and forge it into the correct shape yourself.
Hahahahaha! Can you just imagine a lawnmower running Windows? Keep the small children and pets indoors! Call Stephen King immediately!