This doesn't sit well with Microsoft, whose embedded versions of XP and Windows CE compete with Wind River and Linux. Microsoft was running neck-in-neck with them in 2002 but was expected by most observers to lose ground by 2004. The company's (understandable) lack of enthusiasm for Linux's growth in this market is evident in its recently funded research that indicates a lower cost for embedded Windows products (see a summary of the report). The software giant, as usual, is attacking development practices and maturity of the competing platform and its network stack.
Microsoft still clearly has an advantage in the tool market. It's difficult to compete with the development environment the company offers, though Wind River's support in advancing Eclipse on the Linux side of the world will give Linux a leg up in this respect. Still, it's difficult to catch up to a company with a long history of delivering integrated, easy-to-use development tools to a variety of markets.
As the embedded OS market booms, especially in the consumer and corporate gadget arena, we expect to see Microsoft and Linux competitors Metrowerks and LynuxWorks fight to the bitter end. Let's hope that developers and consumers are the big winners.
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