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Windows Embedded Compact Now Supports Visual Studio 2013
A new version of the .NET Compact Framework was also released.
Developers working with Windows Embedded Compact 2013 couldn't use the latest version of Visual Studio for their projects. That changed with yesterday's release of an update that made it compatible with Visual Studio 2013.
Microsoft announced in February that a spring release would bring Windows Embedded Compact 2013 in line with Visual Studio 2013, but no timetable was given. Windows Embedded Compact is typically used in industries like manufacturing, retail and medical; the OS, which has its own kernel, can be found in retail point-of-sale systems, diagnostic equipment and programmable logic controllers.
The update also includes an inbox wi-fi driver for the TI SDP44xx chipset, for better connections between devices. Other improvements, according to an MSDN blog post, include "bootloader availability on microSD, the ability to download the operating system over Ethernet and USB, and the ability to debug the kernel over Ethernet and RNDIS layers."
Additional enhancements include multiple processor support (SMP), faster file system support and networking throughput, and fast booting.
The new release of Windows Embedded Compact also comes with a new release of the .NET Compact Framework (version 3.9).
Windows Embedded Compact 2013 was formerly known as Windows CE. It's free and can be downloaded here.
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Keith Ward is the editor in chief of Virtualization & Cloud Review. Follow him on Twitter @VirtReviewKeith.