Windows Embedded CE vs. Windows Mobile

As managing vice president, Rob Helm covers Microsoft collaboration and content management. His 25-plus years of experience analyzing Microsoft’s technology... more

Microsoft offers device manufacturers two major platforms for networked mobile devices on the Windows CE OS: Windows Embedded CE and Windows Mobile.

Windows Embedded CE enables manufacturers to create many types of special-purpose devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), music players, Windows terminals, and industrial controls. Devices built on Windows Embedded CE may have radically different hardware and user interfaces (UIs) or, in some cases, no UI at all.

Windows Mobile enables manufacturers to create handheld mobile devices such as wireless-enabled PDAs and smart phones. Unlike Windows Embedded CE, Windows Mobile targets specific hardware reference designs that dictate what characteristics the devices must havefor example, Windows Mobile smart phones must be built with one of several specific phone chipsets. Many Windows Mobile devices include OS components and applications not found in Windows Embedded CE, such as Windows CE “Pocket” editions of Outlook, Word, and Excel.

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