Microsoft’s attempts to create a leaner, smaller and more agile version of Windows to combat the growing list of modern operating systems have usually been met with varying degrees of failure despite the company already having a successful 27 year old blueprint.
After 27 years, Microsoft said goodbye to general support for Windows Embedded Compact 2013 on October 10, 2023 and is looking to end the official license sales of the variant in 2028.
While many may point to Windows 7 as the peak of Microsoft’s operating system engineering the company managed to get its Windows CE OS embedded in the widest ranging device lineup for over two decades which included industrial medical devices, ATMs, point-of-sales (POS) terminals, TVs, hotel displays, calculators, cameras, PDA’s, set-top boxes, and much more.
Originally drafted as Project Pegasus in 1996, Windows CE was crafted by faction of Windows engineers to lead low power MIPS or reference platforms based on Super-H and be a highly customizable graphical user interface (GUI) element for computing devices that lacked traditional keyboards and mice.
Perhaps, more importantly to Microsoft, Windows CE stood as a doorstop to the adoption of Linux on plethora of devices that weren’t deemed traditional PCs.
A year later, devices such as the NEC Mobile 200 and LGs HPC were making their way into customers hands being led by Microsoft Windows CE.
Windows CE chugged along finding even more markets to sneakily embed Microsoft’s operating system into such as automotive and early smartphones/PDAs.
It wasn’t until Windows CE 2.11 that Microsoft’s compact version of Windows saw relative consumer success with the rise of Pocket PCs which eventually gave way to the rebranding of the operating system to Pocket PC 2000 and ultimately Windows Mobile in 2003.
Microsoft’s most grandiose ambitions for Windows CE came in 2007 when the company would use Windows CE 5 for its iPod competitor Zune, and again in 2010 as the backbone for Windows Phone 7 with Windows CE 6, a competing mobile OS to the likes of Android and iOS.
Today, Windows CE continues to power a number of unconventional computing devices such has voting machines and select ruggedized tablets to environmental survey’s and more.
Beyond its long history and vast device footprint, Microsoft’s decision to sunset Windows CE will soon be a hurdle for many who have simply purchased and use devices with the compact version of Windows as they will need to transition to another lightweight Internet of Things (IoT) operating system.
As Microsoft mentions in its Windows CE Migration FAQ, people will still be able to license the OS for another five years, but extended support ended last month.
Due to its engineering, devices powered by Windows CE can technically run indefinitely, but customers will be on their own if anything goes sideways.
Microsoft isn’t leaving users high and dry but offering several alternative solutions that include Windows 10 IoT Enterprise which can make use of Windows CE setups via app containers.
It may mean that depending on your hardware configuration, company goals and processes, right now may be the best time for you to modernize your platform software.
Microsoft has offered its customers multiple solutions on how to navigate this process – move to Windows 10 IoT Enterprise, utilize the Windows CE App Container with Windows 10 IoT Core, or continue licensing Windows CE 2013.
Microsoft has stated it does not currently have plans to offer any more support beyond last month and there is no mention on whether it will finally put the source code up on GitHub for developers to come together as community and provide their own level of support.
