前言
几乎是从Windows CE诞生起，我就开始在它上面工作了。作为一个多年的Windows程序员，能够将我的Windows程序设计经验应用到如此多
的不同而又很小的系统上，使我感到吃惊。这些Windows CE系统运行在各个领域，从类似PC的迷你膝上机到蜂窝手机，再到深藏于一些大
型工业设备里的嵌入式设备。Windows CE里的Win32 API使成千上万的Windows程序员能够在一个全新的系统领域里写应用程序。然而，细
微的差别，使得在Windows CE中编程不同于在桌面版本的Windows中编程。我将在本书里进行讲解的正是这些差异。
Windows CE到底是什么？
Windows CE是最小，也可能是最有趣的微软Windows 操作系统。Windows CE彻头彻尾的被设计成一个基于ROM的，使用Win32 API子集的小
型操作系统。Windows CE把Windows API扩展到那些不支持大容量XP内核的领域和机器上。
目前逐步消亡的Windows 95/98/Me 对那些需要向后兼容MS-DOS、Windows 2.x和3.x 程序的用户来说，是个大操作系统。虽然它有缺点，
但Windows Me还是继承了这个困难的任务。另一方面，Windows NT/2000/XP 是用于企业级的。它牺牲了兼容性和大小，来达到高级别的稳
定和健壮。Windows XP 家庭版是Windows XP 的一个版本，用于家庭用户，它尽力保持了兼容性，但这相对于它的基本目标--稳定性来说
，兼容性还是排在第2位的。
Windows CE并不向后兼容MS-DOS或者Windows.它不是一个为企业级计算设计的全功能的操作系统。相反，Windows CE 是一个轻量级、多线
程的操作系统，它具有可选的图形用户接口。它的长处在于它的小尺寸、Win32 API子集和多平台支持。
Windows CE 也是最初.NET CF版本的基础，.NET CF是.NET在移动和嵌入式设备上的版本。这个精简框架使用一个更小的类库提供了一个同
样强大的.NET运行时环境，这使得它适合用于电池供电的小型设备上。
========================英文原文================================
IntroductionI've been working with Microsoft Windows CE for almost as long as it's been in existence. A Windows programmer for many years, I'm amazed by the number of different, typically quite small, systems to which I can apply my Windows programming experience. These Windows CE systems run the gamut from PC-like mini-laptops to cellular phones to embedded devices buried deep in some large piece of industrial equipment. The use of the Win32 API in Windows CE enables tens of thousands of Windows programmers to write applications for an entirely new class of systems. The subtle differences, however, make writing Windows CE code somewhat different from writing for the desktop versions of Windows. It's those differences that I'll address in this book.
Just What Is Windows CE?Windows CE is the smallest and arguably the most interesting of the Microsoft Windows operating systems. Windows CE was designed from the ground up to be a small ROM-based operating system with a Win32 subset API. Windows CE extends the Windows API into the markets and machines that can't support the larger footprints of the Windows XP kernel.
The now-defunct Windows 95/98/Me line was a great operating system for users who needed backward compatibility with MS-DOS and Windows 2.x and 3.x programs. Although it had shortcomings, Windows Me succeeded amazingly well at this difficult task. The Windows NT/2000/XP line, on the other hand, is written for the enterprise. It sacrifices compatibility and size to achieve its high level of reliability and robustness. Windows XP Home Edition is a version of Windows XP built for the home user that does strive for compatibility, but this is secondary to its primary goal of stability.
Windows CE isn't backward compatible with MS-DOS or Windows. Nor is it an all-powerful operating system designed for enterprise computing. Instead, Windows CE is a lightweight, multithreaded operating system with an optional graphical user interface. Its strength lies in its small size, its Win32 subset API, and its multiplatform support.
Windows CE also forms the foundation for the initial version of the .NET Compact Framework, a version of the .NET runtime for mobile and embedded devices. The Compact Framework provides the same powerful .NET runtime environment with a smaller class library so that it fits in small battery-powered devices.
