Last visit in this forum of dboling is on Mar 18, 2013.
He has a blog too here
http://bolingconsulting.com/blog/
but last post was published on September 13, 2012
Re: Windows CE
jamesh, where is your proof for CE not having 40% of the embedded market?jamesh wrote:Statement was "40% embedded market share", which is clearly incorrect. Embedded market encompasses mobile phones, end user equipment, and industrial equipment. The first two are clearly much larger markets than the third, and in them Linux is dominant. That dominance is creeping in to the third area as well, due to cost - cheaper than CE - processor coverage - more processors run Linux than anything.GSerg wrote:ingramator wrote:Windows CE has embedded market share of over 40%.I believe you are talking about different markets here.jamesh wrote:Laughable. CE has nowhere near 40% embedded market (if it has, can I have the evidence please, because EVERYTHING I have seem says CE is a dying/dead). The huge majority of embedded devices (set top boxes, TV's, mobile devices [Android] etc) run Linux.
There is, I believe, almost no Windows CE on the end-user devices market, which covers set top boxes, TVs etc.
There is, however, quite a few Windows CE on the corporate devices market (e.g.), those you can see in any big store, and I'm yet to find a similar device that would run Linux.
Your statements like "CE on PI wont happen, live with it" are quite strange - what's your pleasure in trying to prevent people to port CE to the PI?! If you are a linux-fan, it's fine - but let other people like whatever is their choice!
BTW, if you'd read my comment (http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewt ... 04#p340704) above more in detail, you'd see that there is a HUGE market for CE devices (I am working in that field, so I have seen enough). They come from, as you pointed out, the third area - industrial equipment. There is only little movement away from CE to linux - exactly because of the costs you mentioned! You can have VxWorks (linux) in that field but one licence is far beyond the price that MS takes for one CE licence! On the other hand NO sane company will deliver a device without commercial OS support behind them - imagine what happens when a bug in the linux kernel pops up and the company is not able to fix it. Whom will they ask to do so? They'd be depending on the good will of the linux community which is clearly not a business model you can build on.
So it would be cool if you could stay fact-bound and objective as well even if people have other opinions on what OS they want to see on a PI.
And two thumbs up for dboling to continue his work on porting CE to the PI from my side!
Just my 2 cents.
Re: Windows CE
Well, the plethora of Android and iOS devices greatly outweighs any industrial applications running CE, so that's why the embedded market is not '40%' CE. It interesting - I actually tried to find some exact figures, and there was nothing on CE since about 2008 which is telling in itself. So that's many millions of devices running over the linux kernel. It doesn't seem to worry Samsung, LG, Apple, Google, Amazon, STB makers etc that Linux itself doesn't have commercial support (although in fact, it does as it's supported by all those companies - and there's also VXWorks, Montavista etc). Note that outside the embedded industrial space Linux also runs that majority of servers, settop boxes, TV's, and many other 'white goods'bbking wrote:jamesh, where is your proof for CE not having 40% of the embedded market?jamesh wrote:Statement was "40% embedded market share", which is clearly incorrect. Embedded market encompasses mobile phones, end user equipment, and industrial equipment. The first two are clearly much larger markets than the third, and in them Linux is dominant. That dominance is creeping in to the third area as well, due to cost - cheaper than CE - processor coverage - more processors run Linux than anything.GSerg wrote:
I believe you are talking about different markets here.
There is, I believe, almost no Windows CE on the end-user devices market, which covers set top boxes, TVs etc.
There is, however, quite a few Windows CE on the corporate devices market (e.g.), those you can see in any big store, and I'm yet to find a similar device that would run Linux.
Your statements like "CE on PI wont happen, live with it" are quite strange - what's your pleasure in trying to prevent people to port CE to the PI?! If you are a linux-fan, it's fine - but let other people like whatever is their choice!
BTW, if you'd read my comment (http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewt ... 04#p340704) above more in detail, you'd see that there is a HUGE market for CE devices (I am working in that field, so I have seen enough). They come from, as you pointed out, the third area - industrial equipment. There is only little movement away from CE to linux - exactly because of the costs you mentioned! You can have VxWorks (linux) in that field but one licence is far beyond the price that MS takes for one CE licence! On the other hand NO sane company will deliver a device without commercial OS support behind them - imagine what happens when a bug in the linux kernel pops up and the company is not able to fix it. Whom will they ask to do so? They'd be depending on the good will of the linux community which is clearly not a business model you can build on.
So it would be cool if you could stay fact-bound and objective as well even if people have other opinions on what OS they want to see on a PI.
And two thumbs up for dboling to continue his work on porting CE to the PI from my side!
Just my 2 cents.
As to CE on the Pi, as I've always said, anyone can do what they like with their PI. If that includes porting CE they should go for it. I just cannot see it happening - for a number of reasons. CE costs money, CE takes lots of support to port, market is small, end user support is limited (compared with Linux).
So, if someone wants to port CE, they should do so. If no-one does? Well, fairly self explanatory. I seriously doubt the Foundation is in the slightest bit interested in doing it themselves, as it has very little (read, no) impact on their raison d'etre.
My personal opinion is that as Linux gets more mature (it's pretty mature already) it will make faster and faster inroads in to whatever market share CE now has in the industrial sector. (Anyone know that figure? Google fails me, is it that 40% quoted?)
Principal Software Engineer at Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd.
Contrary to popular belief, humorous signatures are allowed.
I've been saying "Mucho" to my Spanish friend a lot more lately. It means a lot to him.
Contrary to popular belief, humorous signatures are allowed.
I've been saying "Mucho" to my Spanish friend a lot more lately. It means a lot to him.
- startrek.steve
- Posts: 386
- Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2012 7:19 pm
Re: Windows CE
Well my question is:
Why would anyone want to run ANY kind of windows on the Pi when there are many free (Superior) Linux distros for it?
Why would anyone want to run ANY kind of windows on the Pi when there are many free (Superior) Linux distros for it?
Pi 2 running LibreElec Krypton, Pi 2 running Wheezy Desktop, Pi 1 headless Wheezy, downloading Radio, Pi 1 running Picore headless Media Server, Pi Zero to be an Old Time Radio Project. Pi 3 testing. Pi Zero W downloading Radio shows headless.
Re: Windows CE
The answer to that question is another question.startrek.steve wrote:Why would anyone want to run ANY kind of windows on the Pi when there are many free (Superior) Linux distros for it?
Would you undertake porting the millions of lines of already existing, working, correct code to another platform (e.g. Linux) and guarantee that the ported code behaves in the exactly same way?
Re: Windows CE
Nope. Not really, although people do take on those sorts of projects all the time as platforms become obsolete. But think about what you are saying. Instead of porting that code, you want someone else to port the OS. ie save you the trouble of doing the porting. Until someone does port it, the Raspi is not an option.GSerg wrote:The answer to that question is another question.startrek.steve wrote:Why would anyone want to run ANY kind of windows on the Pi when there are many free (Superior) Linux distros for it?
Would you undertake porting the millions of lines of already existing, working, correct code to another platform (e.g. Linux) and guarantee that the ported code behaves in the exactly same way?
The Raspi is a cheap and cheerful *Linux* machine, which has a few other free OS's ported to it (RISCOS, Plan9 etc). If you want a cheap and cheerful Windows CE machine (which I think may be 'licenceingly' impossible) then you are looking in the wrong place. You can continue to complain it doesn't run CE, or you can port CE yourself, or find someone to do it for you. That's going to cost of course, but that may be a fee you are willing to pay. I hope if someone does port it, they make the BSP widely and freely available (excluding MS licence fee) to match the ethos of the Raspi itself.
(Thought for the day. Moving to a new platform, even with the same OS is no guarantee the code will a) compile, b) work the same way.)
Principal Software Engineer at Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd.
Contrary to popular belief, humorous signatures are allowed.
I've been saying "Mucho" to my Spanish friend a lot more lately. It means a lot to him.
Contrary to popular belief, humorous signatures are allowed.
I've been saying "Mucho" to my Spanish friend a lot more lately. It means a lot to him.
Re: Windows CE
Yes, yes I realize I'm saying that. My points in doing so are:jamesh wrote:But think about what you are saying. Instead of porting that code, you want someone else to port the OS. ie save you the trouble of doing the porting. Until someone does port it, the Raspi is not an option.
- It is easier/better/less work/less points of failure to port just one piece of software (the OS) instead of the [numerous pieces of software minus the OS]. It's like choosing between having a NES emulator versus porting&recompiling all existing NES games as exes.
- There are people out there for whom porting an OS is fun (and porting some regular applied software is not), and they will just do it.
Re: Windows CE
Well, what are you waiting for? 
Let's get this done. It's long over due.

Let's get this done. It's long over due.
benhofb wrote:I am actually pretty surprised no one has mentioned this operating system for the Raspberry pi, but I suppose I will go ahead and do so...
Re: Windows CE
I am going to do something better: port ReactOS to ARM.
You interested?
You interested?
Mequa wrote:Would it be possible to run a version of Windows CE on the Raspberry Pi using some kind of virtualisation software on top of (e.g.) Linux? Using a VM could bypass the need for a native port of a closed-source OS, while still being ARM-native.
I'm not sure how this would perform, or of possible legal issues, but WinCE runs on much slower ARM-based devices than the R.Pi.
Re: Windows CE
Do you mean make the existing ARM port of ReactOS run on the Pi's ARMv6?RareHare wrote:I am going to do something better: port ReactOS to ARM.
You interested?
Re: Windows CE
The existing ARM port of ReactOS did not go very far. AFAIK, it barely booted. However, whatever code was written in the original effort to port ARM will certainly help.rpdom wrote:Do you mean make the existing ARM port of ReactOS run on the Pi's ARMv6?
Re: Windows CE
+1.GSerg wrote:Would you undertake porting the millions of lines of already existing, working, correct code to another platform (e.g. Linux) and guarantee that the ported code behaves in the exactly same way?
I'm 100% new to Pi. In fact im still in the "try it or not" phase.
Here's what I'm after - a small, cheap and very portable platform to connect to already installed device (Vehicle ECU) on a motorcycle that ONLY comes with Windows programs. As it stands I either have to strap a netbook to the tank or connect only at standstill.
There is a wierd cross of Windows CE and Windows7 called Thin-PC. But it's obviously i386. Now if there is a way to run WINDOWS STARTER as a guest under Rasbian - that's OK. I'm assuming Virtualbox does not run under rasbian as Oracle seem only to list i386 and AMD versions.
Thankfully FTDI does ARM drivers for the interface hardware.
And no - I have neither the time or skills to cross port OS's.
Re: Windows CE
Just to interject :
Forum member dboling has released an initial WinCE 7 BSP
http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewt ... 56&t=58259
ghans
Forum member dboling has released an initial WinCE 7 BSP
http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewt ... 56&t=58259
ghans
• Don't like the board ? Missing features ? Change to the prosilver theme ! You can find it in your settings.
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Re: Windows CE
Then Windows CE on the RaspPi probably won't help you. It can not run x86 Windows programs. If you have the source code for the programs and can recompile them for the ARM then you might be able to get it working. But of course Windows CE is not Windows either. It's closer than linux, but you could still have problems.barbagris wrote: that ONLY comes with Windows programs.
Re: Windows CE
There is a technique that would allow Windows programs written for x86 to run on RPi/Windows CE. It would take less than a year to develop this technique (my estimation), and while it would not work for all Windows programs, it would work for a huge number of them (hundreds of thousands).Then Windows CE on the RaspPi probably won't help you. It can not run x86 Windows programs. If you have the source code for the programs and can recompile them for the ARM then you might be able to get it working. But of course Windows CE is not Windows either. It's closer than linux, but you could still have problems.
But as Microsoft itself wrote, "source code is eternal", so once there is an open platform of Windows on ARM, there will be a massive kick on the market where 25 years of Visual Studio experience will be brought to bear on ARM CPU's. Things will get very interesting very quickly at that point, IMO.
Re: Windows CE
Well I've been proved well wrong there! Glad someone thought it was worthwhile. Not sure what the licencing issues will be. Microsoft will want their pound of flesh at some point.
Principal Software Engineer at Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd.
Contrary to popular belief, humorous signatures are allowed.
I've been saying "Mucho" to my Spanish friend a lot more lately. It means a lot to him.
Contrary to popular belief, humorous signatures are allowed.
I've been saying "Mucho" to my Spanish friend a lot more lately. It means a lot to him.
-
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- Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 4:57 pm
Re: Windows CE
I think it's going to be different than the other Raspberry Pi OSes available, as I'm not sure you can't download the binairy images containing Microsoft licensed code.jamesh wrote: Well I've been proved well wrong there! Glad someone thought it was worthwhile. Not sure what the licencing issues will be. Microsoft will want their pound of flesh at some point.
But you still can get the BSP, which includes the entire source code specific to the Raspberry Pi (and under Mozilla Public License, I've heard)

So if you get the Windows CE 7.0 building environment (I think Eval version works just fine, I've got a full Student version), you can build it without too much trouble...
Let's hope now dboling didn't lose interest in developing USB drivers, it would be a huge leap

Re: Windows CE
I'm not sure what has changed. Wasn't this the Window's CE status on the PI in January 2013?
Re: Windows CE
Running x86 code on ARM would require some kind of emulation layer a bit like how NT4 for Alpha was able to run x86 programs.There is a technique that would allow Windows programs written for x86 to run on RPi/Windows CE. It would take less than a year to develop this technique (my estimation), and while it would not work for all Windows programs, it would work for a huge number of them (hundreds of thousands).
Even if running x86 programs on CE was possible the speed of execution would be no better than Dosbox or Qmenu (which is pretty slow to say the least).
Richard S.
Re: Windows CE
Well, that's true if one uses emulation. I would not use emulation, but decompilation/recompilation.Running x86 code on ARM would require some kind of emulation layer a bit like how NT4 for Alpha was able to run x86 programs.
Even if running x86 programs on CE was possible the speed of execution would be no better than Dosbox or Qmenu (which is pretty slow to say the least).
Re: Windows CE
Decompilation of other people software is against the law in many countries....in the States, check out the DCMA.RareHare wrote:Well, that's true if one uses emulation. I would not use emulation, but decompilation/recompilation.Running x86 code on ARM would require some kind of emulation layer a bit like how NT4 for Alpha was able to run x86 programs.
Even if running x86 programs on CE was possible the speed of execution would be no better than Dosbox or Qmenu (which is pretty slow to say the least).
What might not be so clear is translation of x86 in to Arm code. i.e. what emulators do, but doing it up front rather than at execute time. This was how FX!32 (X86->Alpha) sort of worked, except its translation was done on the fly, and it stored the results so it only had to do it once. It was also able to optimise the results somehow to improve performance from the brute forced translation. IIRC.
Principal Software Engineer at Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd.
Contrary to popular belief, humorous signatures are allowed.
I've been saying "Mucho" to my Spanish friend a lot more lately. It means a lot to him.
Contrary to popular belief, humorous signatures are allowed.
I've been saying "Mucho" to my Spanish friend a lot more lately. It means a lot to him.
Re: Windows CE
After reading pro's and con's of porting WinCE to the RPI, I'd like to express my pro.
GPS Navigation.
Almost a decade ago I bought a MIO168, a WinCE PDA with integrated GPS receiver, and it served me well.
Four years ago I bought an OZON X700, which also runs WinCE with iGO Primo as navigation software.
I'd love to have that program running a RPI.
I haven't been able to find any decent satnav program for Linux, and Android is still as much as a no-go for the PI.
So if the WinCE port to the RPI comes to the point of supporting an USB GPS, TMC and touchscreen in a 800x480 resolution, I now what my next carputer will be!
My 2cents,
LeZandre
GPS Navigation.
Almost a decade ago I bought a MIO168, a WinCE PDA with integrated GPS receiver, and it served me well.
Four years ago I bought an OZON X700, which also runs WinCE with iGO Primo as navigation software.
I'd love to have that program running a RPI.
I haven't been able to find any decent satnav program for Linux, and Android is still as much as a no-go for the PI.
So if the WinCE port to the RPI comes to the point of supporting an USB GPS, TMC and touchscreen in a 800x480 resolution, I now what my next carputer will be!
My 2cents,
LeZandre
Re: Windows CE
Anything here any good ?LeZandre wrote:After reading pro's and con's of porting WinCE to the RPI, I'd like to express my pro.
GPS Navigation.
Almost a decade ago I bought a MIO168, a WinCE PDA with integrated GPS receiver, and it served me well.
Four years ago I bought an OZON X700, which also runs WinCE with iGO Primo as navigation software.
I'd love to have that program running a RPI.
I haven't been able to find any decent satnav program for Linux, and Android is still as much as a no-go for the PI.
So if the WinCE port to the RPI comes to the point of supporting an USB GPS, TMC and touchscreen in a 800x480 resolution, I now what my next carputer will be!
My 2cents,
LeZandre
http://tuxmobil.org/linux_gps_navigatio ... tions.html
Principal Software Engineer at Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd.
Contrary to popular belief, humorous signatures are allowed.
I've been saying "Mucho" to my Spanish friend a lot more lately. It means a lot to him.
Contrary to popular belief, humorous signatures are allowed.
I've been saying "Mucho" to my Spanish friend a lot more lately. It means a lot to him.
Re: Windows CE
None of them as good as iGO, nor any of them has updated maps.