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Microsoft Releases Windows CE Upgrade for OEMs

The Redmond`s Linux vision of the digital home is apparently starting to worry Microsoft. The software giant has released a free upgrade to Windows CE 5.0 targeting the media device developers. The Networked Media Device Feature Pack is aimed at OEMs of IPTV set-top boxes, digital video recorders and home media gateways. This release came at a very scheduled date, with Linux World featuring the same week.

"The current business model for the Networked Media Device market is for OEMs to go through a long and costly shopping spree to obtain all the components needed to build the device, including the OS (Linux), media playback, networking and device drivers, UI, codecs, DRM, etc.," according to Jane Gilson, director of the Mobile and Embedded Devices Division at Microsoft. Gilson calls the company`s software pack a "one-stop-shop of fully tested and pre-integrated components. OEMs just need to point and click to add the functionality."

China`s Amoi Electronics will be one of the first company`s to use the feature pack in networked devices. Amoi can use the shared source code to reduce development costs and differentiate its products from competitors, according to a statement from Chen Qiang, general manager of Arnoi`s Digital Home Division.