Microsoft Prepping Windows 8 Embedded
In the last year or so, the only version of Windows that seems to have given Windows Media Center a whole lot of love is Windows 7 Embedded. Windows Media Center was a showcase feature in Windows 7 Embedded Standard and pitched at set-top box OEMs. Windows 7 Embedded Standard even included OEM-only tools for customizing WMC’s start menu and apps. With Windows 8 on the way, it is no surprise that Windows 8 Embedded will be following along. Given how little we know about WMC in Windows 8, it is also no surprise that we don’t know anything about WMC in Windows 8 Embedded either, but it will bear watching.
Windows Embedded Standard v.Next, a componentized version of Windows for various devices, will be out in Community Technology Preview (CTP) test form in the first quarter of 2012 and will be generally available three quarters after Windows 8 is generally available for PCs. It will support ARM processors (like Windows 8 will) — something that it hasn’t done traditionally with this SKU — as well as support for all the management and security features of Windows 8.