Very very well explained! I liked how you made the article short and sweet.
Keep up the awesome work.
Armando
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joseph Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "BrailleNote List" <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, July 14, 2007 10:53 PM
Subject: [Braillenote] Upgrading KeySoft to Windows CE 6.0
Hi Alex, Cindy and list,
I'm not a software developer (software development was never my strong
point, grin) but I'll try my best to explain this in simple but detailed
context:
INTRODUCTION
Whenever a new product is released to the general public from companies
such as Microsoft, Apple, Samsung, etc., the general public wants to know
what's new with the product. The features that these companies and other
companies list as part of the product release would be easy for people to
understand and many people would say that upgrading would allow them to
use promised features.
ON THE SOFTWARE SIDE
For software developers like HumanWare staff and OEM's (Original Equipment
Manufacturer), the release of a new operating system (particularly from
Microsoft) usually means that they need to come up with strategies to
implement features of this new operating systems to their benefit and for
the benefit of the customers. For example, when Microsoft said, when
Windows Vista (Windows NT 6.0) was released, that this new operating
system would no longer support older CPU's such as Pentium III and older
processors, many people who were using computers based on these chips were
worried and switched to newer processors such as Dual Core processors from
Intel and AMD. Also, for example, when Apple announced that it will
establish partnership with Intel to create iMacks (hope I'm spelling it
right), many people who were using Power PC CPUS to run Mac OSX switched
to Intel-based iMacks for some experiments. As previous examples
illustrates, whenever a major software or hardware is released, people
would anticipate as to its impact on their computing lives.
ABOUT WINDOWS CE 6.0
Microsoft released Windows CE 6.0 on November 1, 2006. Microsoft hinted
that this new Windows CE version is different from previous versions and
allows devices to run more programs. This was achieved by modifying the
operating system kernel--the real heart of Windows CE--to take advantage
of increased Virtual Memory from 32 MB to 2 GB. An operating system
kernel is some kind of a process that can be described as "heart of the
OS" - meaning that it is a central component of the operating system that
interfaces with hardware and software (mostly between firmware and
software). Virtual Memory is some kind of a memory where you can use more
memory than physical RAM. Also, this new kernel allows devices to run
almost unlimited number of programs/processes (processes is another term
for programs) - up to about 30,000 programs. (Remember, that under
Windows CE 4.2, you can run up to 32 programs at once.) Also, the audio
stack and bluetooth functions has been redesigned and the way of running
programs is significantly different from Windows CE 4.2.
As the illustrations above shows, Windows CE 6.0 is not just a simple
upgrade: it is a radical departure.
SO WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH BrailleNote USERS?
Because of the way Windows CE 6.0 is designed, just running KeySoft on top
of CE6.0 when it is designed for CE4.2 will not work. Due to the
redesigned operating system that takes advantage of nearly thousandfold of
virtual memory (2 GB or roughly 2000 MB), KeySoft needs to be
rewritten/recompiled to take advantage of increased virtual memory
support. As the chat summary states, the hardware on the mPower and PK is
capable of running Windows CE 6.0 (especially on the mPower).
WHAT ABOUT BrailleNote Classic USERS?
There are numerous reasons why Classic won't be able to run under CE6.0
(I'll try my best to answer many questions that has been discussed on the
list from non-programming perspective):
* The processor itself (MIPS R4000 at 100 MHz) does not have sufficient
capabilities to support CE6.0 because of its speed and rarity of devices
running Windows CE that is powered by MIPS processors. Most devices these
days run under ARM processors.
* Classic does not have enough memory to support CE6.0 features, notably
newer audio stack and virtual memory (although one can use "emulation" for
it).
* The audio hardware on the Classic does not have sufficient capabilities
to support newer audio stack (devices these days have multichannel sound
cards vs. single channel sound cards present on Classic).
These are reasons why Classic will not, and unfortunately unable to
support upgrading to Windows CE 6.0 (it has endured enough to be powered
by Windows CE 4.2).
WHAT POSSIBILITIES CAN USERS EXPECT FROM UPGRADING TO WINDOWS CE 6.0?
If HumanWare upgrades to Windows CE 6.0, the following suggestions that
were posted on the list will come true:
* Enhanced Bluetooth supporting Bluetooth audio and Object Exchange (ObEx)
protocol so you can send data to other Bluetooth devices.
* Enhanced Audio stack (probably a new hardware upgrade is in order).
* The issue of "not enough storage" error would be resolved through use of
tons of virtual memory (KeySoft alone can use up to 2 GB of virtual
memory).
* Support for Office 2007 files and better MS Word documents support.
* Support for Power Point (did I spell it right?) files.
* Support for SDIO (Secure Digital Input/Output) cards such as SD WiFi and
modem cards (probably a new hardware is in order).
These are some of the possibilities that we can expect in Windows CE 6.0.
Conclusion: Every new product release, especially operating system
release, carries considerable impact on customers, computer/device
manufacturers and software developers. Although it may have new features
for better productivity and computer lives, for developers, this means
another challenge for them, especially if the product in question is
different from what developers have been used to using. As illustrated
above, Windows CE 6.0 is not just an evolutionary release, but rather a
radical departure from what we've seen on devices that runs under Windows
CE, namely support for larger virtual memory, redesigned audio and
Bluetooth stack and so forth. For this reason, a software that has been
designed for an older OS such as Windows CE 4.2 needs to be rewritten to
take advantage of new features found in CE6.0. A software written for an
older operating system, say for Windows 98 will not take advantage of new
features released in newer operating systems such as Windows Vista. This
is critical when running a software on a portable device such as
BrailleNote family of products. Although we' as users of this product,
will see many improvements and suggestions come alive, for developers, it
would be a challenge to compile KeySoft to take advantage of new features
introduced in the latest version of Windows CE designed for portable
devices. As Joseph Lee, the author of this message and a BrailleNote user
proclaims, "Use a given technology to its full potential." - use your
technology to take advantage of it.
I hope the above article made sense to everyone. If you have any
questions for me, feel free to contact me.
Cheers,
JosephP.S. Just a comparison: even though the competition claims that it
runs under latest Windows Mobile technology, don't be fooled, as it still
runs under Windows CE 5 technology (This was not meant to be an attack on
a specific product).
___
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