| Microsoft Releases Windows XP Embedded With Service Pack 1 |
Oct. 22, 2002
Las Vegas -- (press release) -- At the third annual Microsoft Windows Embedded Developer Conference in Las Vegas today, keynote speaker Todd Warren, general manager of the Embedded and Appliance Platforms Group at Microsoft Corp., announced the availability of the Windows XP Embedded operating system with Service Pack 1 (SP1), delivering on Microsoft's commitment to make new Windows XP Embedded technologies available within90 days of the client release. Windows XP Embedded with SP1 delivers expanded foreign-language support and the Microsoft .NET Framework, in addition to a number of embedded-specific features such as remote boot and diskless operation. Also announced was a $995 pricing promotion for the Platform Builder and Target Designer Windows Embedded tool sets.
Windows XP Embedded with SP1 is the componentized version of Windows XP SP1, announced earlier this year. Windows XP SP1 was designed to bring enhanced security, reliability and compatibility to users. Windows XP Embedded with SP1 is based on the same binaries as Windows XP SP1, giving embedded developers access to the full range of technologies, features and applications available on the client. Windows XP Embedded with SP1 provides more than 10,000 individual operating system features, services and drivers to help develop customized, reduced-footprint embedded devices.
New embedded-specific features in Windows XP Embedded with SP1 include:- Remote boot enables a Windows XP Embedded-based client device to boot remotely using an image downloaded from a server. Operating system and software updates are managed centrally from a server, eliminating the need for persistent storage such as a hard drive or Flash RAM and thus significantly reducing device deployment and maintenance costs for devices such as retail point-of-sale terminals and self-service kiosks.
- Device Update Agent (DUA) is designed to address scenarios in which it is necessary to incrementally update or service Windows XP Embedded-based devices -- such as thin clients, gaming systems, residential gateways and set-top boxes -- that have been deployed to the field. Customers can manage devices and apply updates to them without being at the same physical location. DUA is ideal for updating, adding or removing binaries, as well as modifying registry data.
- System Deployment Image (SDI) Manager enables users to quickly deploy runtime images to Windows XP Embedded devices. The SDI Manager can significantly reduce deployment costs by improving developer productivity through a streamlined end-to-end image deployment process.
- Footprint Estimator estimates the size of individual components and their dependencies, as well as macrocomponents, before adding them to a configuration. This enables developers to know beforehand the impact of a given component on the image size, thereby avoiding guesswork and saving development time and costs.
- Microsoft .NET Framework provides the ability to build, deploy and run Web-based applications, XML Web services and stand-alone applications built upon the Common Language Runtime and .NET Framework class libraries.
- New communication protocols and services, include: IPv6, providing longer IP addresses, better routing capabilities and more integrated security and USB 2.0, supporting the latest USB standard to work with the widest range of USB peripherals such as scanners, mouse products, keyboards and more
The evaluation version of Windows XP Embedded with SP1 is available here.
In addition, Microsoft announced a six-month promotional price of $995 (U.S. estimated retail price) for the tool suites for both Windows CE .NET and Windows XP Embedded to enable developers to build devices quickly and at a lower initial cost. The price promotion is available for both the Platform Builder and Target Designer tool sets and is valid worldwide from Oct. 1, 2002, through March 31, 2003.
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