{"id":161344,"date":"2021-01-23T09:40:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-23T06:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/what-was-windows-ce-and-why-did-people-use-it\/"},"modified":"2021-01-23T09:40:00","modified_gmt":"2021-01-23T06:40:00","slug":"what-was-windows-ce-and-why-did-people-use-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-was-windows-ce-and-why-did-people-use-it\/","title":{"rendered":"#What Was Windows CE, and Why Did People Use It?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a26b75b83b56\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a26b75b83b56\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-was-windows-ce-and-why-did-people-use-it\/#A_Compact_Portable_Version_of_Windows\" >A Compact, Portable Version of Windows<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-was-windows-ce-and-why-did-people-use-it\/#The_Origins_of_Windows_CE\" >The Origins of Windows CE<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-was-windows-ce-and-why-did-people-use-it\/#The_Windows_CE_Brand-Name_Explosion\" >The Windows CE Brand-Name Explosion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#What Was Windows CE, and Why Did People Use It?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<figure id=\"attachment_708674\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-708674 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/windows_ce_hero_2.jpg\" alt=\"An HP Jornada Running Windows CE\" width=\"650\" height=\"300\" data-credittext=\"Hewlett-Packard\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Hewlett-Packard<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Microsoft released Windows CE in November 1996 as a new version of Windows. Designed to run pocket-sized computers, CE brought the user-friendly Windows 95 interface to mobile computing for the first time. Its architecture also formed the basis of Microsoft\u2019s later mobile computing and smartphone products. Here\u2019s why it was needed.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Compact_Portable_Version_of_Windows\"><\/span>A Compact, Portable Version of Windows<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Windows CE was necessary because full desktop versions of Windows, then tied mostly to the Intel x86 CPU architecture, weren\u2019t practical to run on the pocket-sized devices of the time. As a result, Windows CE represented an entirely different platform from its desktop OS cousins. It couldn\u2019t run programs designed for Windows 95 or Windows NT.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_708675\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-708675 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/windows_handheldpc_2000.png\" alt=\"A Windows CE 3.0 desktop on a Windows HandHeld PC 2000.\" width=\"650\" height=\"240\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Windows HandHeld PC 2000 desktop, based on Windows CE 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Windows CE\u2019s design emphasized low power usage, compatibility with flash memory storage, and relatively low memory requirements. It also retained a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) similar to Windows 95, complete with the Start menu, and even a built-in version of Solitaire.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>Windows 95 Turns 25: When Windows Went Mainstream<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Windows CE came preinstalled as firmware on ROM chips built into portable devices from dozens of vendors, including Compaq, NEC, Hewlett-Packard, LG, and more. Most Windows CE installations also included pocket versions of Microsoft Office <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>lications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.<\/p>\n<p>People could synchronize their files with desktop PCs running Windows using an <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Serial_cable\">RS-232 serial cable<\/a> or infrared connection with a special peripheral. Later, network-based syncing was possible as well.<\/p>\n<p>Some have speculated that the \u201cCE\u201d in \u201cWindows CE\u201d initially stood for \u201cConsumer Electronics\u201d or \u201cCompact Edition,\u201d but those interpretations were never officially recognized by Microsoft. According to a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.operating-system.org\/betriebssystem\/_english\/bs-wince.htm\">1998 Los Angeles Business Journal article<\/a>, Microsoft opted for a more nebulous definition, stating, \u201cCE doesn\u2019t represent a single concept, but rather implies a number of Windows CE design precepts, including \u2018Compact, Connectable, Compatible, and Companion.&#8217;\u201d In the end, \u201cCE\u201d just means \u201cCE.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Origins_of_Windows_CE\"><\/span>The Origins of Windows CE<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In the early 1990s, a new class of computers began to take shape: the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/news\/the-golden-age-of-pdas\">personal digital assistant<\/a>\u00a0(PDA). Most PDAs were battery-powered, pocket-size devices with touch-screen stylus interfaces, and RAM or flash-based storage.<\/p>\n<p>As with any emerging computer trend, Microsoft wanted the be in on the action. However, the Intel x86 processors required to run desktop versions of Windows were too power hungry for a pocket-sized device.<\/p>\n<p>So, Microsoft began experimenting with potential solutions, including a brand-new operating system that would work on low-power CPUs.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_708602\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-708602 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/windows_ce_1_screenshot.png\" alt=\"A Windows CE 1.0 desktop.\" width=\"650\" height=\"300\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Windows CE 1.0 desktop.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Windows CE originated from one such project, code-named <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/microsoft.fandom.com\/wiki\/Microsoft_Pegasus\">Pegasus<\/a>. It was developed in 1995 by a team that included members of earlier Microsoft mobile OS projects, such as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/microsoft.fandom.com\/wiki\/Microsoft_WinPad\">WinPad<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The design goal of Pegasus was to provide a capable, 32-bit multitasking, multi-thread pocket version of Windows. It had to run well on several processor architectures, including SH3, MIPS, and later, ARM. Also, unlike most PDAs at the time, Microsoft intended Windows CE to be usable with a full QWERTY keyboard.<\/p>\n<p>Windows CE 1.0 officially launched on Nov. 16, 1996. According to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/vintageapple.org\/byte\/pdf\/199701_Byte_Magazine_Vol_22-01_Can_Java_Replace_Windows.pdf\"><em>BYTE<\/em>\u00a0magazine\u2019s January 1997 issue<\/a>, the first devices in the U.S. to ship with Windows CE were the NEC MobilePro 200, the Compaq PC Companion (a rebranded version of the Casio Cassiopeia A-10, also available at the time), and the LG Electronics HPC.<\/p>\n<p>All three devices retailed for around $650 (about $1,063 in today\u2019s money).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_708673\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-708673 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/hp_320_lx.jpg\" alt=\"An HP 320LX handheld PC.\" width=\"650\" height=\"400\" data-credittext=\"HP\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The HP 320LX (1997), a popular HPC running Windows CE 1.0. <span class=\"imagecredit\">HP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The press wasn\u2019t particularly enamored with Windows CE 1.0 devices, but still, few critics considered them flops. A loyal fan base soon emerged, especially for HP\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/news\/the-golden-age-of-hp-palmtop-pcs\">highly regarded series of palmtop PCs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Microsoft continued to improve CE over time, with a dramatic leap in capability from 1.0 to 2.x that included support for larger color screens and better networking. This iteration was well-received by both consumers and the press.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Windows_CE_Brand-Name_Explosion\"><\/span>The Windows CE Brand-Name Explosion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>What started as a simple operating system for pocket-size computers in 1996 soon branched out into a PDA operating system for \u201cPocket PC\u201d devices. These Pocket PCs initially ran Windows CE 2.11, which later morphed into the operating system for smartphones and much more.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_708702\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-708702 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/hp_ipaq_rx1955_Pocket_PC.jpg\" alt=\"Two HP iPaq rx1955 Pocket PCs and a stylus. \" width=\"650\" height=\"400\" data-credittext=\"HP\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The HP iPaq rx1955 Pocket PC (2007) ran Windows Mobile 5.0. <span class=\"imagecredit\">HP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In fact, after a few years, Microsoft stopped highlighting the Windows CE brand on its consumer products. Rather, it favored names like the Pocket PC 2000 (April 2000) and Windows Mobile 2003, which were still based on the Windows CE kernel. Even the\u00a0Windows Phone 7, released in 2010, was still based on Windows CE 6.0.<\/p>\n<p>Trying to grasp the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Timeline_of_Microsoft_Windows#Mobile_use\">full lineage of Windows CE<\/a> and its offshoots is a dizzying prospect. It covers over 24 major releases, with many confusing interchangeable or interlocking brand-names, including all of the following (and more):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Pocket PC<\/li>\n<li>Windows Mobile Classic<\/li>\n<li>Windows SmartPhone<\/li>\n<li>Pocket PC Phone Edition<\/li>\n<li>Windows Mobile Professional<\/li>\n<li>Windows Automotive<\/li>\n<li>Windows Phone<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The CE line has remained a bedrock product for Microsoft. Over the last 24 years, Windows CE has powered devices as varied as ATMs, automotive entertainment systems, the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zune\">Zune MP3 player<\/a>, and dozens of <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>s for the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/segaretro.org\/Windows_CE\">Sega Dreamcast console<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_708701\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-708701 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/dreamcast_box_art.jpg\" alt=\"A Sega Dreamcast gaming system box. \" width=\"650\" height=\"502\" data-credittext=\"Sega\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Windows CE powered over 70 games on the Sega Dreamcast console. <span class=\"imagecredit\">Sega<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Currently, Windows CE is officially known as \u201cWindows Embedded Compact.\u201d Its last release (version 8.0) was in 2013, and it will be supported until 2023. Over time, Microsoft has de-emphasized Embedded Compact in favor of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Windows_XP_editions#Windows_XP_Embedded\">XP Embedded<\/a>, followed by <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Windows_NT_4.0#Embedded\">NT Embedded<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Windows_RT\">Windows RT<\/a>, and now,\u00a0Windows 10 for ARM.<\/p>\n<p>Honestly, it\u2019s a miracle even Microsoft manages to keep it all straight. Nevertheless, CE lives on in many industries, and probably will continue to for at least a decade in mission-critical embedded systems running legacy code.<\/p>\n<p>If you have time to wrap your head around the full scope and majesty of the Windows CE family, you can check out <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hpcfactor.com\/support\/windowsce\/\">HPCFactor\u2019s in-depth history of the OS<\/a>. For now, the soul of Windows CE will continue to chug along in the background, doing its embedded thing on devices around the world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. 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Designed to run pocket-sized computers, CE brought the user-friendly Windows 95 interface to mobile computing for the first time. Its architecture also formed the basis of Microsoft\u2019s later mobile computing and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":161345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/windows_ce_hero_2.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-161344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161344","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=161344"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161344\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/161345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=161344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=161344"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=161344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}