Windows Thin PC - CTP available for download

Haven't written in a while, and this is not strictly H/PC related, but I thought you might be interested in Windows Thin PC which appears to be a version of Windows Embedded Standard 7 designed to run on x86-based thin clients. The CTP is available for download. and AnandTech have taken it for a spin.



Of course, how useful any of this will be once Windows 8 comes out on ARM is anyone's guess!

I did a mobile thincli eval/POC for my company in late 2009. We played around with the alpha and beta thanks to some MS contacts.

For specific needs it's really quite brilliant, especially in company-wide deployments. The device management capabilities most of the thinterms have is pretty cool. That was with primarily with Xp embedded, but the technology behind it all is very impressive.

I ended up buying an HP mobile thin client (read: laptop frame with a lower power proc, 1gb ram, and 1gb flash rom) off Ebay I liked it so much. Still grab it when I need an RDP terminal PDQ.

That being said - the need has to be there. They're customizable quite a lot, and can do quite a bit, but not at the same time. I'd be curious to see how the HPC userbase adopts it (or Win7/Win8 on Arm - where's Win7 CE for my MP900?)

Cheers.

Yes, well WinTPC is suited to legacy x86 machines, not generally the kind of thing that H/PC users are interested in. The hardware requirements are still rather high.

I do think Windows 8 on ARM is the more exciting development, as it will hopefully mean the advantages of H/PC (instant on, long battery life, small footprint) with a wide range of software. Windows 8 will have two switchable UIs as well - one which looks like the regular desktop, and a touch-friendly version called "Immersive" for smaller screens and portable use. The idea of having a handheld computing device which you can plug into a dock and convert to a full desktop with a full UI is very appealing, and one that has been promised for a long time. The Motorola Atrix is a bit like like this, but it runs two separate OSes (the Ubuntu-based WebTop in laptop mode and Android in phone/tablet mode) whereas Windows 8 will be the same OS but with two different UIs depending on the usage scenario.



Time for the pipe dream to come true!

Edit: Oh, and the release candidate for WinTPC is available for download now.

Edited by ZSX 2011-05-03 2:25 PM

so does this take the place of win flp? and i'm not very familiar with these products are you allowed to install apps onto the OS or is what you get on install what you're stuck with?

never mind i found the answers http://download.microsoft.com/download/B/4/9/B49ED982-2FDE-43EC-8F8...

Looking at the anandtech article it reads like a list of compromises and incompatibilities with a footprint to make you wonder why you didn't get 7 starter in the first place...