Microsoft might be gearing up to launch a version of Windows aimed at enabling devices designed for always-connected appliances, sensors, and wearables as part of the emerging Internet of Things movement. The derivative of the world's most popular operating system would run on "a whole new class of devices", according to a Microsoft website that was briefly live but has now been pulled down.
The website, www.windowsondevices.com, is now unavailable but sources such as
WPcentral and
Engadget report that it included example content such as a giant toy piano, a coffee cup and various robotic experiments. Windows on Devices could also target hobbyists, educators and inventors who experiment with building their own robots and similar devices.
The platform seems to be geared towards Intel's Galileo development platform, a low-cost, low-power, Arduino-compatible programmable development board based on the recently announced Quark X1000 SoC. The Quark product line is also aimed at enthusiasts and educators, and Intel already sponsors efforts to develop new wearable devices. Intel's
Edison platform, which will complement Galileo later this year, provides similar capabilities in an overall package the size of an SD card.
The effort to reach out to and engage this audience could be a sign of Microsoft embracing the
Internet of Things, a movement to pervasively embed Internet connectivity into appliances, clothes, furniture and millions of other objects, thereby creating a network of always-on, always-aware devices capable of automation, communication, and autonomously responding to changes in their environment. Such devices require new computing hardware and software optimised small sizes and low power consumption.
Microsoft is also widely expected to launch Windows Phone 8.1 at its annual Build conference, scheduled to begin on April 2.