Hi Jim,
Mach3 certainly runs under Windows 7, 32 bit if you wish to use PP. I should add a note of caution tho, I have installed Windows Embedded Standard 7 (WES7).
It is based on the same code as the retail version of Windows 7. WES7 however allows you to install only the code you require for your application.
When I first installed the WES7 OS I installed it as 'compatibility mode' which includes everything you would expect in retail Windows 7. It ran Mach3 fine
but I did not have it hooked up to my machine so there may well of been quirks which didn't show on the driver test or on the oscilloscope I hooked up
to the PP.
More recent installs of the OS I have left out a number of code components, things like Media Player and IE. I am very happy with testing (driver test, oscilloscope
and machine test). Despite leaving chunks of code out the OS is still 1.8 gig, so hardly a slim installation. I think most XP users would be shocked at the amount
of code in Windows 7. The install wizard (IBW) that accompanies WES7 has a dependency checker. So if you want to install a given component, lets say IE graphics
engine then you must install IE Foundation for it to work. The checker automatically includes the required code. It turns out that a lot of code gets included this
way. It does not make for a minimal install. There are options for a minimum install but you lose things like the Control Panel and Windows Explorer. I want those
'creature comforts' so didn't persue the minimum options. All in all WES7 install and deployment is a breeze. XP Embedded is a much more difficult proposition.
The real advantage of WES7 and a new single board computer is reliability. WES7 will be around for many years to come thanks to its intended use as an embedded
OS worked into a bewildering array of devices from supermarket kiosks to automobile systems and even washing machines!. Likewise the computer hardware will
be around for a long time and depending on the maker the components used are for reliable industrial situations.
Craig