Q. I've heard that there are new, low-cost licensing models available for CE.NET 4.2and Win CE 5.0. What is the difference between the licenses?
There are three licensing models that Microsoft is using for 4.2. The "Core" license is the most compact and cost-effective, currently costing US$3 per license. The Professional and Professional Plus models cost $12 and $15, respectively. [Jan-07 update: Current license costs are closer to USD 2.00, 12.50 and 19.00] Most ADS builds fall into the Professional model.| License | Features | | Core | GDI; ftp and http servers; CompactFramework | | Professional | web browser, Media Player, aygshell, WordPad, sync apps, and others(*) | | Professional Plus | file viewer applications
(Microsoft Excel, Image, PowerPoint and Word; Adobe Acrobat) |
Microsoft supplies a utility to determine the licensing model of the build you are using. The application analyzes the ceconfig.h file, which ADS has included with most CE builds since June 2004. See topic 1547 for links to download the tool.
(*) Note that the CE 4.2 License Tool incorrectly reports that Java script (jscript) and VB script (vbscript) are part of the Professional license. This is not consistent with the CE 4.2 license document (linked below). The CE 5.0 Tool correctly allows jscript and vbscript in Core builds.
Further Reading
Edited by akidder 29-Jun-2004: Add Further Reading links.
Edited by akidder 6-Jun-2004: Add link to license document and remove now-broken link, msdn.microsoft.com/embedded/howtobuy/ce.net/license/runtime/default.aspx
Edited by akidder 5-Oct-2004: Add names of file viewers available in 4.2
Edited by akiider 9-Nov-2004: Add CompactFramework to Core features
Edited by akidder 14-Dec-2004: Add link to CE.BIB topic
Edited by akidder 17-Dec-2004: Add link to discussion about redistribution of ActiveSync
Edited by akidder 6-Apr-2006: Add WordPad to Professional license components
Edited by akidder 30-Nov-2006: Add to Professional license: aygshell, sync apps, and "other" link to topic 1547.
Edited by akidder 1-Dec-2006: Add note about jscript and vbscript difference in license models.
Edited by akidder 23-Jan-2007: Add update about current license costs.
Edited by akidder 14-Sep-2010: Add link to determining DLLs used in app
Edited by akidder 8-Sep-2011: Add link to topic about license labels. Update title to end with "for Windows CE" rather than "for CE.NET 4.2 and 5.0" |
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Posted - 25 Mar 2004 : 15:06:55
