Windows Embedded Compact 7 RTM now available

By Tom Warren, on 1st Mar 11 5:29 pm with 8 Comments

Microsoft said on Tuesday that it has finalized its Windows Embedded Compact 7 operating system.

The software giant released a 180-day trial version of the final version to its Download Center this week. Embedded Compact 7 is designed as a compartmentalized version of Windows 7 that can be embedded at the hardware level. Embedded Compact 7 includes a multitouch interface that supports panning and pinch to zoom. The interface will also run a full desktop browser experience including support for Flash and Silverlight. The new operating system is an evolution of Microsoft’s Embedded CE and includes the following new features:

  • Support for ARM v7New 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 IE8)
  • 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)

ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley notes that the company was scheduled to RTM Embedded 7 by the end of 2010 but had to delay the product. Microsoft is positioning the new OS as software for devices such as industrial, automated and medical hardware. The new OS can also run on Slates and Tablets. A number of Microsoft’s OEM partners have shown off Slates and Tablets running the new operating system with custom user interfaces.

Microsoft has previously promised a “major revamp” of Windows for slate applications, that will come in the next version, Windows 8. Embedded Compact 7 is designed to bridge a gap until the next major Windows version that will support ARM chips out of the box. Microsoft may introduce Windows 8 ARM based tablets ahead of a full desktop release according to recent reports. Microsoft’s competitive tablet strategy is believed to be further along than expected. Dell’s recently leaked Tablet Roadmap revealed that the OEM has marked Q1 2012 as its date for a Windows 8 based slate. WinRumors understands that Microsoft has been working on an ARM based version of Windows for nearly a year and that it is laboring hard to bring this to the market as soon as possible.

  • http://twitter.com/clindhartsen Chris Lindhartsen

    I take it that’s IE8, not IE sunglasses man? :)

  • Jhonny-lopez

    8)

  • Guest1234

    dude, you could report this ‘news’ several days before it happens if you checked my ‘juicy info’, thats what rumors should be. :P

  • GP007

    The problem with Embedded Compact 7 is that the OS doesn’t come with a default MS made UI. It’s like Android in the sense that you take the bits and build what you want, even the UI. This holds things off, on the other hand we might see some tablets like this for consumers to fill in the sales period until MS gets Win8 out. It’s up to the OEMs though, but hey, if you’re going to make a custom UI for a tablet anyways at least with EC7 you know it’ll play nice with PCs over the network.

  • http://twitter.com/adamUCF Adam

    “Embedded Compact 7 is designed as a compartmentalized version of Windows 7 that can be embedded at the hardware level.”

    No it’s not. Embedded Compact 7 (aka Windows CE 7) is an entirely different OS than WinNT/7. Windows Embedded Standard 7 “is designed as a compartmentalized version of Windows 7 that can be embedded at the hardware level.” Entirely different product.

  • http://twitter.com/adamUCF Adam

    Well it does, it’s just basically the UI from Windows 95 and noone would dare ship it.

    • Rafelo

      You probably use Windows Compact Edition every day and dont even realize it. Its used everywhere; gas pumps, soda and snack machines, cable boxes, hospital instrumentation devices, check out stands, postal service scanners, signatures pad; just to name a few. Just because you dont see the logo, doesnt mean its not there.

  • Anonymous

    “Embedded Standard 7 is the compartmentalized version of Windows 7 that can be embedded at the hardware level. Embedded Compact 7 = Windows CE 7.0.