Steve Bush actually managed to bring up a valid useful point for once. . .

[Macguy59]

Read this and tell me what you think will need to happen:
(As quoted from Brighthand)

"Pocket PC

Ed: So what’s your big prediction for Pocket PC?

Steve: Now it’s my turn to go out on a limb. My prediction? Start planning Windows CE’s funeral. Long live Windows XP. What do I mean, and how does it affect Pocket PC? Well, imagine you’re the head of Microsoft’s mobile computing group. You’ve got laptops, Tablet PCs, Pocket PCs, Smartphones, and various other embedded devices. You’ve got multiple platforms relying on multiple OSes. Eventually you’ve got to question whether this makes a lot of sense and whether you can support the whole kit-and-kaboodle...

Ed: Kit-and-kaboodle?

Steve: Technical term. Eventually you wonder whether there’s a way that you can support all these platforms with a single, modular code base. Enter Windows XP and Embedded XP. So my prediction is that eventually we’ll see Pocket PC based on some form of XP, not Windows CE. I’m not sure if this will happen with Pocket PC 2004, or if PPC2004 will be based on Windows CE.net, but it’s coming.

Ed: Well, Microsoft has a habit of doing radical re-writes of its operating systems so this wouldn’t surprise me. I just hope they don’t forget the incremental changes people have been asking for, like increased use of landscape mode and higher resolution screens.

Steve: And alarms that work. "

[Gremmie]

I think thats accurate, but very premature. To run XP you need a hard drive and a decent processor. Technology is small enough, but the batteries don't. Eventually it'll all be full Windows based OSes in handhelds, but not for quite awhile.

[dean_shan]

Evenutally it'll all be full Windows based OSes in handhelds, but not for quiet awhile.

I agree the technolgy is quite there yet. My guess is that a windows handheld will come in 7 years or so.

[Macguy59]

Evenutally it'll all be full Windows based OSes in handhelds, but not for quiet awhile.

I agree the technolgy is quite there yet. My guess is that a windows handheld will come in 7 years or so.

What about embedded XP ?

[Rirath]

7 years is probably pushing it. We're make tech leaps these days like it's nothing. 7 years for a bargin bin version perhaps, but the first units should come quicker.

[Gremmie]

I would estimate 2~3 years for a very viable product. Remember, products like the OQO are a symbol of the future, its just unclear how well the OQO works out using current battery technology.

[ECOslin]

I believe it won't be XP, it can't be that soon(technology and market wouldn't support it now) and it would have to still be embedded(can you wait for your PPC to boot?).

[Gremmie]

There has been advancements, mainly in the field of magnetic memory where electricity is not required to retain information in RAM therefore reducing boot time. It may not be XP per se, but we're definatly talking about a later full Windows OS.

[bmhome1]

Also, if the promise of fuel cells for portables evolves quickly, the battery issue may become irrelevant to some degree.