Chris said:
Yes they do. However life is more complex than that. In an embedded
system the computing part is part of something else. It is the something
less that people buy. Therefore the computing part is just a component
and has to be minimum cost.
Why go to the huge expense (comparatively) additional complexity and,
if you are using Pocket PC, lack of reliability of using a 32 bit
processor when an 8 bit one will do the job.
Processors that can run Pocket OC etc. make up about 10-20% of the total
MCU produced (this includes the x86 used in PC's). The rest are 4, 8 and
16 bit systems.
Yes 4 bit are still common tough the largest single group is the 8 bit
system (though the Z80 is a seldom used part comparatively. IT is a CPU
not MCU). Due to cost the 16 bit market is getting squeezed between the
8 and 32 bit markets.
Though Pocket PC is not usually an option for 95% of embedded systems.
[Noting that this is a separate subject from C++ vs C]
However we can say that the devices with high powered processors are not
uncommon. Consider cell phones, with emails, calendar etc stuff.
I remembered that because I just read this (from WinInfo Daily Update
14-02-2005):
"In the News
- Nokia Licenses Microsoft Technologies for Cell Phones
- Microsoft Signs Deal for Low-Cost Smartphone Platform
==== In the News ====
by Paul Thurrott, (e-mail address removed)
Nokia Licenses Microsoft Technologies for Cell Phones
In a deal that could mark the beginning of a less contentious
relationship between the companies, cell phone giant Nokia has licensed
key Microsoft technologies for digital media and email. Nokia has shown
little interest in Microsoft's wares in the past, largely because Nokia
saw the Windows Mobile platform as an up-and-coming competitor to its
successful cell phones.
Under terms of the agreement, Nokia will license various Microsoft
Windows Media technologies, including Windows Media Audio (WMA),
Windows Media Digital Rights Management (DRM) version 10, Media
Transfer Protocol (MTP), and a Windows Media Player (WMP) plug-in for
the MPEG Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) family of codecs. These
technologies will let Nokia cell phones more easily integrate with WMP-
based music on Windows XP-based PCs, the companies say.
"This agreement makes it easier for consumers to download the music
they want to listen to, without having to worry about whether or not
the file format is supported," Anssi Vanjoki, senior vice president and
general manager of Nokia's Multimedia Business Group, said. "It's all
about enabling choice without compromising compatibility. The broad
reaching popularity of Windows Media Player, its comprehensive feature
set, and its support for service integration made it a natural choice
for us when looking at the PC component of the mobile music solution we
are offering to mobile operators."
Nokia will also use Microsoft technology to help its users
wirelessly synchronize their email, calendar information, and address
books between high-end Nokia phones and Microsoft Exchange Server 2003.
"Nokia is committed to answering the broader needs of enterprises
across the world by giving them access to the widest possible choice of
email and personal information solutions on the market today and
tomorrow," Mary McDowell, senior vice president and general manager of
Nokia's Enterprise Solutions Business Group, said.
Microsoft Signs Deal for Low-Cost Smartphone Platform
Microsoft is attempting to drive the success of its Windows Mobile-
based Smartphones by creating a new, lower-cost platform, code-named
Peabody, that will be made by original device manufacturer Flextronics,
the company that manufacturers the Xbox. Flextronics will sell devices
based on the Peabody platform to cell phone makers.
"The significance of this partnership [is that we can now make]
extremely high-volume, low-cost devices that don't have any concessions
in terms of functionality," John Starkweather, a product manager in the
Mobile Devices division, said. The Peabody announcement came on the
first day of the 3GSM World Congress 2005, a major cell phone show in
Cannes, France.
Peabody is compatible with the Global System for Mobile
Communications (GSM) and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) cellular
phone systems, but not with the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)
system that Sprint and Verizon use. The new platform includes a wide
range of functionality, including video, gaming, photos, and personal
information manager (PIM) synchronization with Microsoft Office
Outlook."
So in a sense, small/embedded devices are becoming more and more
powerful. Again this has nothing to do with C vs C++, since both
languages are suitable for the same jobs under severe space and time
constraints.