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SP1 for Windows XP Embedded Ships

Microsoft Corp. updated the componentized version of Windows XP this week with the delivery of Windows XP Embedded with Service Pack 1.

The SP1 release brings expanded foreign-language support, the Microsoft .NET Framework, remote boot and diskless operation.

Windows XP Embedded is for developers creating customized, reduced-footprint devices. Microsoft split Windows XP into 10,000 individual operating system features, services and drivers. Business uses for the componentized version of the client operating system include thin clients, retail point-of-sale devices, self-service kiosks and industrial automation.

Although the componentization of an operating system is a complex task, Microsoft made the job easier for itself in the Windows XP timeframe by pulling componentization into the core OS development cycle. The company has committed to delivering embedded versions of Windows XP within 90 days of general Windows XP releases, and so far Microsoft has kept ahead of its schedule. Service Pack 1 arrives less than two months after the first service pack for the regular version of Windows XP.

Several embedded-specific features are new in Windows XP Embedded with SP1. A Remote Boot feature allows a Windows XP Embedded-based client device to boot using an image downloaded from a server. A Device Update Agent helps with incremental updates and service for remote devices. A Footprint Estimator aids developers by providing the size of individual components and their dependencies before adding them to a configuration. The service pack also provides support for IPv6 and USB 2.0.

Windows XP Embedded first shipped last November.

About the Author

Scott Bekker is editor in chief of Redmond Channel Partner magazine.

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