Microsoft ships embedded version of SP2

Microsoft said Wednesday that it is now ready with an embedded version of Windows XP Service Pack 2. The embedded version of Windows is used in devices such as point-of-sale terminals and thin clients and allows hardware makers to pick and choose which components of the OS they wish to include. Hewlett-Packard and Wyse are among the companies developing products using the updated OS, Microsoft said.

The software maker said the new version offers stronger default security settings, improved management of remote devices and added networking and multimedia features. The OS will eventually be available in 25 languages but is now ready in English, Japanese, Portuguese, German, French and Spanish.