Windows XP Embedded, commonly abbreviated "XPe", is a componentized version of the Professional edition of Windows XP. It was released on November 28, 2001. The newest release is Windows XP Embedded Service Pack 3 as of October 2008.
Unlike Windows CE, Microsoft's operating system for portable devices and consumer electronics, Windows XP Embedded provides the full Windows API, and support for the full range of applications and device drivers written for Microsoft Windows.
An original equipment manufacturer is free to choose only the components needed, thereby reducing operating system footprint and also reducing attack area as compared with Windows XP Professional.
Devices targeted by Windows XP Embedded have included automatic teller machines, arcade games, slot machines, cash registers, industrial robotics, thin clients, set top boxes, network attached storage (NAS), time clocks, navigation devices, etc.[1]
The system requirements state that Windows XP Embedded can run on devices with at least 32 MB Compact Flash, 32 MB RAM and a P-200 microprocessor. Custom versions of the OS can be deployed onto anything but a full-fledged PC; even though Windows XP Embedded supports the same hardware as Windows XP Professional (x86 architecture), licensing restrictions prevent it from being deployed on to standard PCs.
However, Microsoft has made at least one exception to this rule. Some Dell notebooks contain an embedded XP installation as part of the MediaDirect 2.0 feature. It is worth noting that all such laptops also have a standard OEM install of Windows in addition to the XP embedded installation.
Microsoft announced that Windows Embedded Standard 2009 would succeed XP Embedded by the end of 2008. Windows Embedded Standard 2009 was derived from Windows XP Embedded since Microsoft did not have a componentized version of Windows Vista.[2]
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References[]
- ↑ "Which Windows Embedded Product is Right for my Device?". Microsoft. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
- ↑ Microsoft Charts Its Road Map for Windows Embedded Business
External links[]
- Windows XP editions: Windows XP Embedded at Wikipedia
Wikipedia (article: Windows XP editions )
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