The use of Windows in the embedded marketplace continues to grow, acknowledged directly by Microsoft’s aggressive promotion of two Windows platforms for the embedded market: Windows CE and Windows XP Embedded (XPe). CE addresses the small and mobile marketplace, whereas XPe is a specially packaged version of Windows XP with some features intended for complex embedded pplications. This article looks at the impact of dual and multicore microprocessors with a combined Windows XP and Real-Time Operating System environment.