News - Windows Mobile 7 rumours pick up pace

[HEXUS]

Zune and Xbox to be integral to the next-generation Windows Mobile experience, say Internet sources.

Read more.

[mikemikemi]

No multi tasking is a step backwards in my opinion.

But still, will be interesting to see what gets announced.

[Hicks12]

No multi tasking is a step backwards in my opinion.

But still, will be interesting to see what gets announced.

Agreed, why would MS decide to get rid of one of the major selling points?. I dont see that happening.

MS prouds itself with the fact it isnt locked down like apple and can be compatible with everything so thats why i dont feel this rumour is anywhere near the truth.

I could see them locking the interface perhaps, but the only reason HTC did their reskin was because WM is ugly and lacks a nice touch friendly GUI which is hard to use as an advert to entice the public

[Funkstar]

Bare in mind that WM7 will not replace WM6.5, they will run concurrently and serve different markets.

I presume that business handsets and those with keyboards or keypads will continue to run 6.5.

I'm not so sure real multi tasking is actually needed on a phone. Neither the iPhone or Android have it, I don't think Palms WebOS has it either. In WM7, multiple apps can be leaded at the same time, however everything but the active app will be paused in the background, ready to resume when you switch back to it. It's not like you will need to close one app to open another. Push notices will still happen as well.

The major advantage of this way of working on a device with limited resources is that a background app cannot run away and hog system or user resources when not being used. I presume there will also be background services for things like GPS, Wifi, GSM, etc.

[scaryjim]

... Neither the iPhone or Android have it, ... In WM7, multiple apps can be leaded at the same time, however everything but the active app will be paused in the background ....

This can't be true of Android, or surely you couldn't listen to music and surf the web at the same time. Or is the music player not an application?

[jim]

It shouldn't be to be honest, as I can imagine the main purpose of multitasking on phone (bearing in mind small screen) would be to listen to music and use web browser.

Mind you, the PS3 can't play music at the same time as doing anything else, and that's got a 7 core processor so go figure

[dangel]

The difference on a phone is you don't see apps side-by-side running - one has control of the screen at any given time in almost every scenario. When you think about this then 'multitasking' becomes more about background processes and perhaps this is what they're eluding to. I agree it's essential for WM.

[Funkstar]

This can't be true of Android, or surely you couldn't listen to music and surf the web at the same time. Or is the music player not an application?

Well the iPhone is famously non-multitasking, and you can listen to music while doing other things, so I don't know then exact definition of what it's doing. I presume WM7 would do he same. A friend that has done some Android development explained to me how it works on Android, which isn't strictly multi tasking, but I forget what he told me.

[miniyazz]

It seems silly to lock down the interface since really all TouchFlo et al has done is enabled WM6 phones to continue to compete in a newer, shinier market. What if the same needed doing months down the line from WM7?

[shaffaaf27]

WebOS = multitasking heavan

[Gunbuster]

It shouldn't be to be honest, as I can imagine the main purpose of multitasking on phone (bearing in mind small screen) would be to listen to music and use web browser.

Mind you, the PS3 can't play music at the same time as doing anything else, and that's got a 7 core processor so go figure

Erm you can download in the background, record TV shows, text your friends and listen to music whilst surfing.

Not perfect, but you can do other things

[jim]

Erm you can download in the background, record TV shows, text your friends and listen to music whilst surfing.

Not perfect, but you can do other things

The problem is that it stops at the most inopportune and unpredictable time. Like I start playing my music, then go off to see what videos I might want to watch from the media server. As soon as I click on the logo, the music stops playing.

It could at least warn you that it's completely incapable of multi-tasking and ask you if you want to proceed rather than just cut you off.

I understand music stopping during games and whilst other media is playing, but that's all. Mine seems to disappear whislt looking for other media, looking at any of the settings menus, or various other things - it's effectively inoperable if I want to ensure that the music plays through smoothly.

[Gunbuster]

The problem is that it stops at the most inopportune and unpredictable time. Like I start playing my music, then go off to see what videos I might want to watch from the media server. As soon as I click on the logo, the music stops playing.

It could at least warn you that it's completely incapable of multi-tasking and ask you if you want to proceed rather than just cut you off.

I understand music stopping during games and whilst other media is playing, but that's all. Mine seems to disappear whislt looking for other media, looking at any of the settings menus, or various other things - it's effectively inoperable if I want to ensure that the music plays through smoothly.

Oh no you are right, it doesn't often do things well, but it does them.

Seriously I wish all those developers they waisted on home were just tasked with updating the firmware.