So, Microsoft began experimenting with potential solutions, including a brand-new operating system that would work on low-power CPUs. However, the Intel x86 processors required to run desktop versions of Windows were too power hungry for a pocket-sized device. Most PDAs were battery-powered, pocket-size devices with touch-screen stylus interfaces, and RAM or flash-based storage.Īs with any emerging computer trend, Microsoft wanted the be in on the action. In the early 1990s, a new class of computers began to take shape: the personal digital assistant (PDA). According to a 1998 Los Angeles Business Journal article, Microsoft opted for a more nebulous definition, stating, “CE doesn’t represent a single concept, but rather implies a number of Windows CE design precepts, including ‘Compact, Connectable, Compatible, and Companion.'” In the end, “CE” just means “CE.” The Origins of Windows CE Some have speculated that the “CE” in “Windows CE” initially stood for “Consumer Electronics” or “Compact Edition,” but those interpretations were never officially recognized by Microsoft. Later, network-based syncing was possible as well.
#WINDOWS CE 6.0 NOTEPAD SERIAL#
People could synchronize their files with desktop PCs running Windows using an RS-232 serial cable or infrared connection with a special peripheral. Most Windows CE installations also included pocket versions of Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Windows CE came preinstalled as firmware on ROM chips built into portable devices from dozens of vendors, including Compaq, NEC, Hewlett-Packard, LG, and more. RELATED: Windows 95 Turns 25: When Windows Went Mainstream It also retained a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) similar to Windows 95, complete with the Start menu, and even a built-in version of Solitaire. Windows CE’s design emphasized low power usage, compatibility with flash memory storage, and relatively low memory requirements. A Windows HandHeld PC 2000 desktop, based on Windows CE 3.0. It couldn’t run programs designed for Windows 95 or Windows NT. As a result, Windows CE represented an entirely different platform from its desktop OS cousins.
#WINDOWS CE 6.0 NOTEPAD FULL#
Windows CE was necessary because full desktop versions of Windows, then tied mostly to the Intel x86 CPU architecture, weren’t practical to run on the pocket-sized devices of the time.