"Linux companies are incensed by a recently published
Microsoft document that compares Windows XP Embedded to embedded
Linux. The critics are calling some of the document's claims
misleading or factually wrong.
The document , called "Why Microsoft Windows XP Embedded and Not
Embedded Linux?", outlines what it calls the shortcomings of Linux
for embedded devices. It describes the operating system as
convoluted, difficult to develop for, expensive and insecure.
The document targets manufacturers who are looking for an
operating system to drive their embedded product--that is,
basically any digital device other than a PC. Its aim is to try and
convince them to use Windows. Microsoft has yet to make a
substantial impact in the embedded market, which is dominated by
proprietary operating systems. Linux is the main competition for
Windows in driving devices such as Internet appliances and set-top
boxes."