Microsoft officially discontinues support for Windows CE, the 26-year-old operating system for embedded devices and handheld computers, reports The Register.

This version of the operating system was first introduced back in November 1996, and the latest version was released in 2013 under the name Compact Embedded 2013, but this year its support is ending.

The company saw the future in compact devices and believed that pocket computers with Windows CE on board would overtake personal computers in popularity, but Windows smartphones never saw success.

Although support for Windows CE will end at the end of this year, the company will allow licenses for the 2013 version to be sold until 2028, and devices with the operating system on board will be able to operate as long as their owners need them.