2013 – 2023retired
Google Glass
“It saw everything, including why we weren't ready.”
“Small kernel, big heart: it fit in your pocket and ran the world”
Windows CE was Microsoft's operating system for mobile and embedded devices, launched for handheld computers and later evolving into a component-based, embedded, real-time OS. Fans loved that OEMs could license it and build their own interfaces and experiences on top of its technical foundation. It quietly underpinned beloved products like the Pocket PC, Auto PC, Windows Mobile, and Windows Phone 7.
In 2011, version 7.0 arrived alongside a rename to Windows Embedded Compact, dropping support for MIPS and SuperH architectures while keeping MIPS II. The final version, Windows Embedded Compact 2013 (version 8.0), supported only x86 and ARM, and the platform was discontinued in 2023. It leaves behind the memory of a little OS that carried the Windows name into pockets and devices the desktop never touched.
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“It saw everything, including why we weren't ready.”
“It showed us a better version of the page, then became the version that went away.”
“Dynamic Island now has an isle of its own.”