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Headless Windows CE .NET June 10, 2004 [General] | By Edward J. R. New article from Microsoft about "headless systems" or another Microsft's own name for well established thing that here on earth is called "embedded software" (Microsoft folks live effectively on another planet)... While Windows CE .NET constitutes a basis - a core - for Windows Mobile devices, there are a lot of areas of application to this system other than in PDAs and in smarpthones, in fact Windows CE .NET can be installed on regular PC and on almost any board with a procesor in it, even in XBox console ... what at the same time means, that there are (potentially) also more areas of application also to our Windows Mobile devices... Firstly the article discusses what a headless system is: A headless system, sometimes called a "Black Box" is a device that does not have a graphical user interface and may not have any display at all, other than the obligatory "Blinky Lights" we engineers are so fond of. Many people believe that Windows CE .NET doesn't support headless devices or isn't of any use in such types of systems. Let's set the record straight on that up front! Windows CE has supported headless systems since its very early days. Not only can it be used for headless systems Windows CE is already used in a variety of such systems from a diagnostics instrument that tests for anti-biotic residue in milk samples to HVAC and SCADA systems (and the Microsoft MN-700 Residential Gateway). So why is it, that after all this time there is still confusion on the issue? It turns out there are a couple of reasons. First is the name Windows CE .NET, and second is the success of the Windows Mobile and Pocket PC platforms. Then intrestingly the article speaks of the issue of certain misunderstanding: Windows CE == Pocket PC? The Pocket PC represents a hugely successful platform based on Windows CE. So much so, it is often difficult to separate the underlying operating systems and technologies from the products that use them. There is a very real large populace that equates Windows CE with Pocket PC as if they were one in the same. While this is great for Pocket PC it hides the broader capabilities of the operating system in the embedded systems space. Who would have thought that Pocket PC and Kuka robots would be running the same operating system. This article and others that will follow are focused on bringing those broader capabilities to light with insight from real-world projects created with Windows CE. To read the article click here. 
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