Compact 7 has many new features such as multi-core support and multi-touch capabilities; however some OEMs will still find CE 6.0 to be the ideal OS for their new designs.

Unlike CE5 and CE6, Compact 7 does not have a low cost "Core", SKU. OEMs who do not need advanced features and want a $3.00 per license cost can continue to purchase CE6 Core until 11/30/2021.

OEMs considering Compact 7 have five SKUs to choose from:

There are two "general purpose", SKUs costing around $11 and $14. The primary feature differentiating these from the CE6 Core SKU is that they both support Silverlight for Windows Embedded. Silverlight enables OEMs to create engaging, interactive graphical user interfaces (GUIs). The more expensive of these two "General Purpose", SKUs includes Compact 7 versions of many familiar applications such as Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player and Microsoft Office viewers in addition to more advanced features such as Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).

Beyond the two General Purpose SKUs for Compact 7, there are three "Vertical", SKUs restricted only for use on very specific types of devices: Personal Navigation Devices, Consumer Internet/ Set-Top-Boxes and Network-Attached Projectors. Another vertical SKU for Thin Clients will become available later this year. A list of the components available in the different Compact 7 SKUs can be found on the Microsoft Embedded website. 

Contact Avnet's Microsoft team for more details and to help you decide on the right SKU for your application!