WinCE target embedded market Microsoft's embedded Windows flavor (WinCE) has terrible market penetration in the embedded space. So they're trying to listen to customers and let folks test their product in an effort to emulate GNU/Linux-like grassroots support. I'm not sure how many folks realize this, but proprietary single OS companies like Microsoft should always listen to the customers the first time until they build up an installed base. Then the economics of lock-in start up and we get the draconian abuses we're all witnessing in XP. GNU/Linux does not have this problem and must always listen to customers.

Besides, there's no reason hardware vendors should use anything but the most commoditized of OSes in their products, and that mean GNU/Linux.