[detaro]

Embedded Windows has been a thing for a long time and has steadily become less and less relevant over the past decade or so, with many users slowly migrating away. It is more expensive and basically unsupported by Microsoft and hardware makers, while adding very little unique features. I've basically only encountered it in "We stop support for Windows" announcements, "Here's how to make migrating away from it a bit easier for your devs used to it" and "We need to migrate away from Windows, can you help?"

You occasionally see Windows on stuff that runs full-size PCs "embedded" into a device, but then typically just normal Windows nowadays.

[zozbot234]

> Embedded Windows has been a thing for a long time

Mostly in Windows CE palmtops, based on a miniaturized version of the actual Windows 9x interface. Not sure it's ever been a thing in real embedded workloads.

[m0xte]

It has unfortunately. It's used in some of Keysight's oscilloscopes. Even the new ones. And it's not even a new version

https://ripitapart.com/2018/10/15/gaining-access-to-the-wind...

Some of the later ones run Linux apparently but I've never seen one. All the Rigol ones are Linux based.

[thetinguy]

This is absolutely not true. Windows CE ran on things like ATM or cash registers or oscilloscopes or industrial control platforms.

[grawprog]

The CNC machines I used to run ran off an embedded version of xp customized by Siemens as part of their Simatic system.

https://support.industry.siemens.com/cs/document/20059684/si...

I believe the newer versions of their machines have upgraded to windows 10 however and are handled a bit differently now.

[tracker1]

Well, considering if it's an embedded/utility device with a screen (that isn't a phone) there's a greater than 50% chance it's running some form of windows, I wouldn't consider that statement true at all.

-- edit below

For examples, the displays at restaurants are about 50-50 linux/windows... airport displays are > 50% and same for billboards... Bank ATMs are almost all Windows, which are all over the place.

-- edit 2

I don't think that linux doesn't have a place, and for non-display embedded devices is definitely the leader. I was mainly pointing that windows ce portables were not even the biggest point of windows embedded use, or even that it wasn't widespread.

[detaro]

Enough embedded use that I wouldn't bet on the "mostly" in your statement. And there's been different Embedded lines after WinCE.

[vvanders]

Beckhoff still uses them as the basis for their PLC platform[1] and the exist in a lot of other embedded contexts as well.

[1] https://www.beckhoff.com/english.asp?embedded_pc/cx1010.htm

[ThrowawayB7]

To add to the list of people pointing out that you're mistaken, I'll add that Windows CE was used in Ford's first and second generation Sync vehicle infotainment systems. It was also the basis for one of the two SDKs for the Sega Dreamcast.

[theK]

I find it interesting that so many people point out that some sort of Windows OS WAS used by vendor A, B, or C. Yes, a lot of enterprises tried Windows in embedded use cases in the past. Presumably companies will keep trying it from time to time in the future too. But the fact of the matter is that, as the usecases nature vendors migrate to Linux. Also, saying that there were multiple parties trying to use Windows does not mean that Windows has significant market share in that domain.

[detaro]

How are other examples not a valid counterpoint to the claim that it was "mostly Windows CE palmtops"? They don't claim that it is still overly popular or not being replaced.

[rjsw]

There was a specific Embedded Windows product, it wasn't just a matter of vendors configuring the desktop version.

[numpad0]

Yeah, Windows CE was used everywhere as a sort of “web browser” for equipments because it’s lightweight and somewhat stable.

Too bad Microsoft didn’t understand why customers has no business with NT and just let the market go for other choices like Android or Linux+Qt.