When Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer lately criticized Google at the D8 conference for possessing two unique mobile running methods, it;s shocking so few challenged the pot for calling the kettle black. Microsoft doesn;t have just 1 as well as two mobile running technique (OS) offerings. As of currently, it's a 50 percent dozen, by my count.Microsoft introduced the newest addition to its mobile OS checklist on June 17. The newest family members member, known as Windows Embedded Handheld,
Windows 7 Professional, is powering the new Motorola’ES400 enterprise digital assistant (EDA), released right now in Ny.Windows Embedded Handheld, like a majority of Microsoft;s mobile OSes (apart from Windows 7), is built on leading of the Windows Embedded Compact (formerly recognized as Windows Embedded CE) core. The very first version of Windows Embedded Handheld, that is going to be shipping before the finish of this yr, is tailored for what are known as “enterprise handheld cellular devices” — i.e., ruggedized computers that are for custom line-of-business applications, like bar-code scanning,
Office 2010 Professional, RFID reading, etc. A second version of the Windows Embedded Handheld platform — built on leading of the Windows Embedded Compact 7 core — is due out inside the second fifty percent of 2011.##############: Running on Windows EmbeddedWith today;s announcement,
Office 2010 Activation, Microsoft now has at least six several OS offerings for cellular phones and devices. It's two different phone running methods — Windows Mobile 6.x (the last with the line from the Windows Cellular OS family members) and Windows Phone OS 7.0. (It has three if you count the Kin phone OS,
Microsoft Office 2010 Product Key, that is a modified version of Windows Phone OS seven.0.) It has the just-launched Windows Embedded Handheld OS. It's an OS for TVs, set-top boxes, kiosks and other embedded tasks, known as Windows Embedded Standard 7. It's got Windows seven, which it is positioning as its OS for tablets and netbooks. And,
Microsoft Office 2007 Key, as company officials said last month at Computex, it has Windows Embedded Compact 7 (which isn;t going to be released to manufacturing until Q4 2010) for PC makers who want to create slates and other consumer mobile devices that run on non-Intel processors and use less battery power.Here;s my best attempt to explain what;s part of Microsoft;s cellular OS six pack:What;s together with the multiplying Microsoft cellular OS SKUs? Wouldn;t just one or two choices result in less PC maker and customer confusion? On the cellular front, it seems the thinking in Redmond is that more specialization and more choices will give mobile device makers more options.The place where Microsoft is consolidating its story is on the Windows Embedded Compact front. Windows Embedded Compact/Windows Embedded CE is the lowest level platform upon which Microsoft builds its phone and mobile device running systems. At this time, the vast majority of the six numerous cellular OS offerings run a variety of numerous versions of Embedded Compact/Embedded CE. Microsoft is working to get more of its cellular OS platforms to run on top with the Windows Embedded Compact 7 core.On the development tools front, Microsoft also is operating to consolidate its offerings. During the second half of next year, when the Windows Embedded Handheld 7 platform ships, it will support the same set of development tools that Windows Phone 7 will be supporting: Visual Studio 2010, Silverlight and the XNA platform, according to Microsoft officials.Why a dedicated ruggedized mobile OS?Currently;s launch of Windows Embedded Handheld marks the debut of a new brand and new nomenclature for Microsoft in a market where it already plays. Microsoft already includes a handful of OEMs, including Motorola, Honeywell and Intermec, who sell ruggedized mobile PCs and devices that run Windows CE and/or Windows Cellular.