Windows XP Embedded Roadmap

A componentized version of Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Embedded, has been updated to reduce its footprint and allow quicker OS builds, among other features. XP Embedded has proved useful for devices, such as point-of-sale terminals, that aren’t power constrained and need to run unmodified Windows applications. The arrival of Windows Vista has obscured the roadmap for Windows XP Embedded, but Microsoft has revealed some future plans.

Feature Pack Improves Footprint, Tools

Windows XP Embedded consists of a complete version of Windows XP SP2 organized into a catalog of OS components that device designers can select for a specific device, and a developer tool called Target Designer that enables designers to build a custom OS image with those components. Windows XP Embedded also delivers a few unique components needed for specialized devices, such as components that support booting on devices with no graphics cards.

In general, any device built with Intel-architecture processors that could benefit from running unmodified Windows applications is a candidate for Windows XP Embedded. The product has been most widely employed on point-of-service (POS) terminals such as cash registers, and Microsoft now offers a special edition called Windows Embedded for Point-of-Service (WEPOS) for that usage. However, other devices have used Windows XP Embedded, including in-flight entertainment systems and thin-client terminals that run a local browser and media player.