05-31-2003, 01:45 AM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Windows 98, In 16MB Of Flash?
This is kind of cool, and has interesting implications. A company called Embedded Ware has developed a Windows 98 solution that fits in only 16MB of flash -- they call it, appropriately, TinyWin98.
From the Windows CE device perspective, this serves as interesting competition. TinyWin98 supposedly boasts very fast boot times and instant-on/instant-off. At the same time, you've got a full Windows 98 operating system in a small form factor, with minimal power drain. Windows 98 has relatively minimal system requirements, as well. Developers don't need to learn different APIs. On the other hand, Windows 98 doesn't have the stability of more modern operating systems, including CE and XP Embedded, and requires an x86 processor, which is still more power hungry than ARM solutions. In practice, I don't see this taking off in the mass market (a la Pocket PC), but it may be valuable for specific embedded applications.
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05-31-2003, 02:17 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 125
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I would like a handheld with this! plenty of software to run in it :mrgreen:
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05-31-2003, 02:50 AM
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Theorist
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 267
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I want one! I want one! Begone PPC2K3! Hello Win98! 8O
Does this mean PPC's could potentially hook up devices to it as long it can run in win98 drivers?
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05-31-2003, 03:36 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 20
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While I can see lots of reasons to do this, is it really all that feasible? Certainly there must be HUGE amounts of compromises in order to fit WIN98 onto 16MB. And I remeber crashes happening several times a day, instead of maybe once a week with XP, and (so far, for me) only once every month or so with Pocket PC 2002.
I would rather see more development with PPC 2002 dedicated solutions, instead of rehashing an outdated OS that is five years old.
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05-31-2003, 03:45 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 54
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Not to mention the problems installing programs and data. I can see trying to run Office 97 on a PPC, install it and you're probably out of storage.
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05-31-2003, 03:48 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 119
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haven't people been installing win98 lite on 16meg DOCs in hacked internet appliances for the past couple _years_?
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05-31-2003, 04:50 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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This looks like a very specific applicatoin to get it that small. It seems you load Win98 on a PC, load your app on it, then run their analyzers and then from a WinXP host machine, it kicks out only the bare essentials to run your app. And note that it says it can fit on as little as 16MB CF. I'd wager that if your applicatoin was as complex as something like Excel or Photoshop (I use those as examples, I bet this thing needs your source code to work correctly) there is no way it would fit in 16MB.
I agree with other comments here - this is a very very specific market. I don't understand why you wouldn't use WinCE or Embedded XP - both are far more stable and CE can be as small as 64KB if you like and XP can be as complex as a multiuser headless system if desired.
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05-31-2003, 05:35 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 20
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This is probably the result of Guys sitting around thinking of bizzare things to do with software/hardware that was never intended to be done...
Somewhat similar to Running Windows 1.01 apps in WinXP
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05-31-2003, 05:40 AM
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5000+ Posts? I Should OWN This Site!
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 5,616
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Quote:
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OS always startup as it was brand new from factory
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That's one way to reduce the gunky buildup that most Win98 systems incur.
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05-31-2003, 06:40 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 315
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dude, id love a win98 install for my laptop. it would be instant on, and just fine for browsing and stuff. I never had problems with win9x crashing unless you have it bogged down with all kinds of startup programs.
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