On Monday Microsoft announced plans to share more of its Windows CE source code with device makers. This comes as great news for device makers and developers who have so far had pretty restricted options. Microsoft is also allowing others to change its source code, and then compile it for commercial use. Hopefully this move will give Windows CE a much needed kick start.
Hoping to boost the use of its Windows CE software in devices, Microsoft Corp. plans to announce on Monday that it will share more of the operating system"s source code and allow device makers to make changes to that code. The announcement marks the first time that Microsoft will allow others to make changes to the operating system source code, compile the code for use in commercial products and not have to share their changes with Microsoft or anybody else, said John Starkweather, a product manager at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington.
Windows CE was developed for devices including consumer electronics, wireless routers, industrial controllers, handheld computers, set-top boxes, VoIP (voice-over-Internet Protocol) phones and thin clients. It competes with proprietary operating systems as well as with versions of the open source Linux operating system designed for embedded use. "The option to ship derivatives of Windows CE will give device makers another opportunity to innovate, thus we will see a further expansion of the types of devices that are powered by Windows CE," Starkweather said.