| Windows CE is based on the Microsoft Windows operating
system but is designed for including or embedding in mobile and other space-constrained
devices. Although Microsoft does not explain the "CE," it is reported
to have originally stood for "Consumer Electronics." Windows CE
is used in several brands of handheld computers and as part of cable TV
set-top boxes built for TCI. It competes with EPOC and also with similar
operating systems from 3Com (for its PalmPilot) and other companies. Like
the full-scale Windows systems, Windows CE is a 32-bit multitasking, multithreading
operating system. Microsoft emphasizes that the system was "built from
scratch" while taking advantage of Windows architectural concepts and
interfaces. Microsoft argues that Windows desktop system users will find
that products with Windows CE provide a familiar user interface.
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