Low-Cost Version of Windows CE

In an effort to increase the number of devices that use Windows CE and to stave off a growing threat from Linux in small devices, Microsoft has created a low-cost version of Windows CE NET 4.2. Priced at US$3 or less, Windows CE .NET 4.2 Core (the other versions are Professional and Professional Plus) lacks some of the applications included in pricier versions of CE, but could be used in a wide variety of consumer and networked devices.

The price of the Professional and Professional Plus versions is not public and it varies by the OS and other software components used. However, a CE license is estimated to cost between US$7 and US$70.

Core for Mass-Market Devices

CE Core is aimed at business-oriented devices, such as gateways, entry-level voice-over-IP (VoIP) phones, and industrial automation equipment, and some consumer electronic devices, such as CD players, digital cameras, and networked DVD players.

Although it is less than half the price of other versions, Core is a substantial subset of the Professional and Professional Plus versions of Windows CE .NET 4.2. It includes all of the C libraries and runtimes, Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ), a full set of XML capabilities, and clients and servers for Web services that use the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), among other things.