Very Small System OSs

In the world of pervasive computing, the big growth is in operating systems for very small computers. These include television set-top boxes, cell phones, "palmtop" devices, systems for cars, and so forth. Microsoft has a foothold here, but at this point it's not clear which system will predominate or if, unlike the situation on the desktop, it will be possible for a number of OSs to share the market.

Windows CE

Windows CE is a version of Windows that Microsoft has developed for small systems. (Maybe we should call it "Windows Jr."? "Panes"?) The first implementation of this OS was in a new series of palmtops/sub-subnotebooks unleashed in the winter of 1996–97. Because these systems emphasize light weight and low power (2 ...

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