Specialized Windows Client Editions

Microsoft has released a variety of editions of Windows XP for specialized hardware. These editions are designed to enlarge the market for Windows beyond traditional PCs to specialized PCs, such as digital audio/video hubs, and to single-purpose devices such as point-of-sale terminals. Licenses for these products are sold exclusively to PC and device manufacturers through specialized channels. However, software updates for some of these products are available through the company’s regular channels to enable organizations and individuals to update systems already in the field. Updates for some of these editions ship on their own timetable, separate from updates for the core Windows OS.

Important specialized editions of Windows XP include the following:

Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. A superset of Windows XP Professional for lightweight notebooks whose displays support pen input. The current version, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, includes Windows XP SP2. Compared to past versions, it offers simpler pen input, better integration with applications such as Office 2003 and OneNote, and improved developer APIs.