Windows CE: Selling Windows CE to the real world
By Lisa M. Bowman
06/07/99 02:44:00 PM
ZDNet
Microsoft unveils plans to build mini-OS into everything from gas pumps to your TV.
DENVER, Colo. -- Microsoft Corp.'s vision for Windows CE goes beyond mere handheld devices and the AutoPC, the company told attendees of its developers conference here Monday.
The company hopes to make CE the engine behind the television in your home and the pump at your gas station. In the future, Microsoft and its partners are planning to add more multimedia, wireless and Web-based features to CE devices.
"We want to take people outside their offices into the real world to make sure they can interact out in the open," Harel Kodesh, vice president of Microsoft's productivity appliance division, said.
Microsoft (Nasdaq:MSFT) is racing to close the gap between CE powered devices and the Palm Computers developed by 3Com (Nasdaq:COMS). Right now, Palm has the edge, but Kodesh predicted that would change.
"This year we're still catching up with Palm," Kodesh said. "I believe next year we're going to get to parity."
IDC predicting rapid market growth
No matter who ends up becoming the dominant player, the market is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. International Data Corp. predicts the market will skyrocket, growing from 3.9 million units last year to 21 million by 2003.
Kodesh said CE will power many devices, from portable phones to set-top boxes. The company recently signed a deal with AT&T Corp. (NYSE:T) to put up to 10 million CE set-top boxes in people's homes.
"We don't necessarily look for a single device, we see multiple devices per person," Kodesh said.
During the keynote address, Kodesh showed off the latest CE technology for palm-sized and handheld computers, including color screen displays, infrared technology, games and applications that integrate audio, still graphics, text and video to make a slide show synchronized to music.
He also told the more than 2,000 attendees that the company would distribute three separate versions of the developers kit -- one for the AutoPC, another for the handheld PC and a third for the palm-sized PC. He said future versions of Windows CE would include support for Cleartype technology, a better user interface, and more support for real-time features.
The company also introduced AutoSynch 3.0, which it said would solve many of the problems in previous versions, such as the need to reboot multiple times. Kodesh also announced support for a common executable format, which he said would let developers write one application that will run on any handheld processor, instead of having to tweak it for each chip.
Gas pump demo
To wrap up the keynote, Kodesh brought a representative from Radiant Systems Inc., which uses CE technology to design systems for customers such as fuel company Tokheim Co. and Burger King restaurants.
During a demonstration at a fake gas pump, the pair showed how -- through a combination of Windows CE and USB devices -- a person could buy gas and order a meal using a touch screen, while at the other end a cook gets the food order and a clerk tracks the gas purchases. Kodesh said CE powered most of the demo, including the ordering system, the pump display and the hazardous materials handling system.
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