Along with the launch of Windows 8.1 for consumers today, Microsoft has also made available the final version of Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry for developers, OEMs and enterprise customers to download. The OS, which got a preview version in June, has been designed to be used for specialized hardware devices such as point-of-sale terminals, kiosks, ATMs and others.
In a blog post, Microsoft stated, "We celebrate the increasingly elegant and compelling Windows devices that are at the heart of creating experiences that keep pace with our lives, and we at Windows Embedded are excited to extend that commitment – powering these experiences on specialized industry devices that deliver unmatched value to the enterprise via intelligent systems."
Among other things, the new version of the OS is supposed to have more support for the use of Windows 8 apps. It also includes more hardware support for products like magnetic stripe readers and bar code scanners. Microsoft already has plans to launch another one of its embedded operating systems, Windows Embedded 8.1 Pro, sometime later this year. Microsoft has said it will have "a full, license-restricted version of Windows 8.1 Pro with x86 and x64 support."
Source: Microsoft | Image via Microsoft