Microsoft: Ask us for driving directions
Microsoft wants to take Windows in a new direction.
The software maker announced on Monday its plans for NavReady 2009, a customized version of Windows Embedded that's specifically designed to power in-car navigation systems. The software is based on Windows CE, the slimmed-down version of Windows that is used for Windows Mobile.
Some GPS makers, such as Mio, already use Windows CE, though Microsoft says it is adding support for several new features with this navigation-specific release. New features include support for Live Search, Bluetooth, and MSN Direct, which allows real-time traffic and gas prices. NavReady 2009 should start showing up in devices starting this holiday season, Microsoft said.
This is not the first time Microsoft has tried to tailor its general-purpose Windows Embedded operating system to the needs of a particular market. Most recently, it created a version for cash registers. But even Windows Mobile itself was an attempt to tailor the generic operating system for a specific market.
The next version of the point-of-sale software, dubbed POSReady, is due out some time next year, Microsoft said Monday.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
I switched to Mac 4 years ago and I love it. For servers I run Linux and it's hard as a rock.
Microsoft OS sucks, but people don't know any better and can be easily convinced through deceptive marketing.
I'll be using navigation on my iPhone as the SDK will allow.
They've been doing Windows for over 20 years and still haven't gotten it right. Windows still crashes, is way too slow and buggy, and gets viruses when other OSs don't. Right, ask Microsoft for directions. They don't have a clue where they are going. How are they supposed to direct anyone else?
I use a variety of operating systems on a daily basis and am unfortunate to have to have to diagnose and troubleshoot them all. Nothing out there today can be considered a perfect operating sytem, but IMHO Vista and the Windows Mobile platforms have much more going for them than anything else out there in the market today.
"... Is it really Microsoft's problem or an issue where the 3rd party developers can't follow instructions and write 32-bit code and write the the correct registry location (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/software rather than HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE) ..." I'd argue that's the problem right there, the idiotic registry itself. Looking at the mess in my VM, I'd guess you meant to say "HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software rather than HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE" as there is (thankfully) no such thing as "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/software" (case sensitive version). Is this kind of idiotic ambiguity M$'s fault? Certainly, no one else is guilty of making winblows work the way it does. That's the "beauty" of proprietary closed-source software, there is NO QUESTION who is guilty. And as a side note, no one has seriously tried loading fista on a 486sx machine and why would they? It won't run on anything that wasn't build as a super computer over the last 3 years, so why try on an average machine that's over 10 years old? That kind of flexibility only comes with Linux, even the lastest OSX (Leopard) would have trouble with a 10 year old machine and Apple is usually pretty good at supporting older hardware. So what have we discovered in your comment? You have NO IDEA what you're talking about. I'd guess M$ will pay you for you uninformed opinion anyway.
"It looks like you're driving your car. Would you like help?"
do you research!!
- by gthurman July 20, 2008 5:20 PM PDT
- May the auto WinCE become a dashboard PDA. Upon destination arrival, the processor and memory ejects, leaving the monitor in the dashboard. Entering home or office, the 'communicator' could be inserted, like an old 8-track cassette, into a docking station with large monitor, keyboard, mouse and microphone for voice control. Mobile 7 might do well.
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