Windows As Standard Mobile OS: What It Means For You

A standard OS means you can choose devices based on features and functions, without worrying about interoperability.

It's safe to say that most rugged (and nonrugged) mobile hardware manufacturers have standardized on the Microsoft Windows OS for their devices. And it makes sense – Microsoft has become the de facto OS for PCs, laptops, and even smartphones (even Palm, with its proprietary OS, announced a few months ago the availability of the Palm Treo with the Windows Mobile OS). This standardization means you no longer have to worry about device interoperability within your network and your systems; rather, you can focus on the form factor and functionality of devices to get what you really need out of a mobile device.

When you consider a Windows OS on a rugged handheld, you'll encounter two types: Windows CE and Windows Mobile. Windows CE is the basic core of a mobile OS; Windows Mobile is built upon it. You'll find the majority of consumer-grade or semirugged devices are equipped with Windows Mobile because there is less need to customize the OS to support applications. Also, Windows Mobile has a wide variety of standard features, many of which are required as part of the OS, such as a media player. Those types of features are not necessary in rugged enterprise applications, which is why Windows Mobile is not the prevalent OS for rugged devices. "Windows CE is ideal for customers who want more control of their devices and want to modify the OS themselves," says Chuck Dourlet, VP of marketing, mobile computing division for Symbol Technologies. "Windows CE provides flexibility and can run anything from a basic low-level OS to high-end applications."