User:Rtrimces/sandbox/OneCore

OneCore is a term used informally by Microsoft to describe the Windows NT kernel and operating system components that are common across the family of Windows 10 operating systems: Windows 10,  Xbox One OS, Windows Holographic,  Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Mobile, and  Windows 10 IoT Core.

The precursor to OneCore was MinWin, a term used informally by Microsoft to describe the Windows NT kernel and operating system components that form the basis of releases of  Microsoft Windows starting with Windows Vista. The term MinWin was first used in 2003 to describe approximately 95% of the common components of the operating system, but has over time come to refer to a smaller portion. Its most recent and most well-known variation was a minimalistic, self-contained set of Windows components that shipped as part of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

Background
Crib from


 * same method of constructing operating systems
 * same method of servicing operating systems (if you squint...)
 * same kernel
 * same core binaries (e.g. compositor)
 * networking stack
 * same device stacks
 * same api surface for third party applications ("universal apps")
 * same ddi surface for device drivers ("universal drivers")

What OneCore does not have:
 * Windowing subsystem
 * 65% of the code on full Windows Desktop (e.g. fax)

Releases
Basically follow the structure of the Minwin article. Each release corresponds to a period of time. Thus capture each epoch of work in the context of a release.

Windows Vista
Crib from Minwin

Windows Server 2008
Crib from MinWin

Windows 7
Crib from MinWin. Talk about API Sets.

Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8
Write prose. Main thing to call out is that the Samsung Windows RT tablet and the Nokia Lumia used the same SoC and Qualcomm built firmware and driver from the same source with one team.

Call out MMOS and the fact that was the subset of Windows that was commont to Phone and Windows Desktop.

Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1
Write prose. Main thing to call out is:
 * unifying the app model; you could write a XAML or WWA app for Mobile

Xbox One
Write prose. Call out that the same subset of Windows used for Windows Phone was used for Xbox.