Microsoft Will Release Windows CE 5.0 On July 9

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://news.com.com/Microsoft+to+release+next+version+of+CE/2110-1045_3-5249530.html">http://news.com.com/Microsoft+to+release+next+version+of+CE/2110-1045_3-5249530.html</a><br /><br />Microsoft will release the next version of Windows CE in early July, version 5.0. Windows CE is the platform that the Windows Mobile operating system is based on. Windows Mobile 2003/2003 SE devices have Windows CE 4.2. I am pretty sure the <i>next</i> version of Windows Mobile will be based on Windows CE 5.0. Based on <a href="http://www.brighthand.com/article/Microsoft_Adding_D3DM_to_Windows_Mobile">this Brighthand article</a>, the next Windows Mobile platform will support Direct 3D Mobile (D3DM), Direct X for the mobile device. According to the <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/embedded/prodinfo/future/techpreview/default.aspx">Windows CE 5.0 Technology Preview</a>, D3DM is a part of the new embedded operating system.<br /><br />Because of the work the Mobile Development team when through for Windows Mobile 2003 to allow them to relatively easily slip a newer version of CE under the Windows Mobile platform, it means they won't have to spend months and months getting CE 5.0 under the hood.

[peterawest]

Microsoft Takes Another Step Toward More 'Open' Licensing

This article from eWeek had some other news about this upcoming release:

Microsoft officials said by the time Windows CE 5.0 is delivered to OEMs late this summer, all licensors will be able to "maintain ownership of their derivative code and will not be obligated to share modifications with Microsoft, partners or competitors."

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1617794,00.asp?kc=ewnws062804dtx1k0000599

[jrynkie]

Is Windows mobile 2003 upgradable to this OS?

[Janak Parekh]

Is Windows mobile 2003 upgradable to this OS?
Certainly not to CE 5.0, because CE 5.0 isn't designed for the Pocket PC per se.

If and when a Pocket PC OS comes out on CE 5.0, we'll have to wait and see if Pocket PC manufacturers offer it as an upgrade.

--janak

[Kowalski]

windows ce started to gain more multimedia support which is beyond the needs i think. this OS was designed to run on minimum system resources but now we are talking about directX ! funny how tecnology got improved

[Janak Parekh]

windows ce started to gain more multimedia support which is beyond the needs i think. this OS was designed to run on minimum system resources but now we are talking about directX ! funny how tecnology got improved
Who is to say multimedia is any more or less important than other requirements? Besides, OEMs can heavily customize the CE image to suit their needs...

--janak

[Ed Hansberry]

windows ce started to gain more multimedia support which is beyond the needs i think. this OS was designed to run on minimum system resources but now we are talking about directX ! funny how tecnology got improved
Keep in mind CE is used for far FAR more than just Windows Mobile. I think some of the MCE Extenders and other multimedia devices from MS will have CE at the core.

[ctitanic]

CE 5.0 wont support the old ARM processors (SA-1100 and SA1110)

http://msdn.microsoft.com/embedded/usewinemb/ce/supproc/default.aspx