InfoWorld Reports on the Future of Windows CE Microsoft Pumps up Operating System for a Variety of Mobile Devices
SAN MATEO, Calif. — December 9, 1996 — Although the dust is still settling on the Windows CE hand-held platform, Microsoft is already working on a more robust version of the Windows CE operating system (OS), which will include native support for e-mail attachments and color-display support, according to today's issue of InfoWorld.
A page one story written by Department Editor Ephraim Schwartz and Senior Writer Andy Santoni reveals the software giant's plans for the future of its Windows CE operating system, as well as upgrades to Pocket Internet Explorer, its browser for mobile devices that comes with Windows CE.
While Windows CE was initially designed to run on personal digital assistants (PDAs), palmtops and wallet PCs, James D. Floyd, hand-held product manager at Microsoft, is quoted in the article as saying that, "there will be more devices running Windows CE than just hand-helds," including smart phones, smart pages, digital video disc media, and electronic controls for automobiles.
At the Hand-held & PDA Expo and Forum in San Mateo, Calif, last week, analysts and developers said Microsoft's Windows CE strategy spans a variety of devices.
"Windows CE is Microsoft's strategic move to block off a continuum of devices, from wristwatches to set-top boxes and everything in between … with its own reference spec as the, standard operating system," said Rob Kimball, chief technology officer of Wynd Communications, a maker of wireless e-mail software in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
"The phone is CE's future, as well as a more powerful, external display and keyboard so you can use it as a device when you're away from your home or office without a PC," said Rob Enderle, senior industry analyst at the Giga Information Group in Santa Clara, Calif.
Additionally, the article reports that version 2 of the Pocket Internet Explorer will include support for ActiveX as well as Java applets. Version 2 will also support Microsoft's Java Virtual Machine implementation and include the Java class libraries, and other enhancements are expected as well.
"If you look at what's on Explorer 3.0 and 4.0 for the desktop, you can pretty much guess what's coming to the Windows CE platform," said Floyd.
According to Floyd, the upgrade should be simple as most hand-held devices already include a removable ROM chip for easy OS upgrades, adding that "there's a good chance version 2 of Windows CE will be available sometime in 1997."
Full text of the article is available on InfoWorld Electric at www.infoworld.com.
Headquartered in San Mateo, Calif., InfoWorld, the voice of client/server in the enterprise, focuses on editorial coverage of products used in enterprise networks. Its news organization has earned a reputation for the timeliness and accuracy of its news coverage and is often cited by the general news media as a primary source for breaking computer technology stories.
SOURCE: InfoWorld
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