Windows Phone 7 To Get Multi-Tasking, IE9, Xbox Integration 266
geek4 writes "Microsoft is planning to introduce multi-tasking and full integration with Internet Explorer 9 in future updates to its Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system later this year. IE9 on Windows Phone 7 will use the same core browsing engine as on PCs. Microsoft also talked about the importance of multi-tasking, and claims it can now offer fast task switching without causing serious detriment to the battery life. In particular, Microsoft said, this will improve the experience of using third party applications. In a demo, a Microsoft engineer showed how a music application called 'Slacker' could keep music playing in the background while the user moved between different applications. By holding down the 'back' button, users can also see all their recently accessed applications, allowing them to switch easily between them."
Microsoft also demonstrated how they're integrating WP7 with Xbox 360 consoles, showing a video of players using their phones as an auxiliary touchscreen controller to interact with a Kinect game.
Re:Multi-tasking (Score:1, Informative)
>>>The [80s] called, asking for its unique selling point back.
Fixed. Preemptive multitasking first came to the home in 1985 (on commodores). The other persons were slow to the table (Win1998 and OS X 2001), and acted like it was an innovation, but of course it wasn't.
As for Microsoft and Internet Explorer, they are trying to repeat the success they had in taking-over the PC, but now on mobile phones. I hope they >> null: (i.e. fail).
Re:So? (Score:2, Informative)
As Nokia shifts to support Windows Phone, I think that 1% will start to grow considerably. At the very least, people will accidentally buy Windows Phone as they continue their Nokia stable of phones, which still outsells Android. Add to that their very real customer satisfaction rate (a large percentage [reportedly 90%+ in their marketing material] of a relatively small number), and you have a huge problem for Android.
Not to mention, as Android starts to falter based on its inability to force carriers and manufacturers to upgrade. Why is my friend still using an unrooted Evo running Android 2.2? According to the table on Wikipedia [wikipedia.org], less than 1% of Android users are running 2.3 (the version with the fix that stops texts from going to random people...). Over 10% are still running Android 1.5 and 1.6, combined.
My officemate (we're both Java developers) wants an Android, but he refuses to get one for two reasons. First, there are major hardware changes coming in the next month or two, which make it obvious to wait (he may actually get the Bionic). Second, fragmentation means he cannot depend on actually receiving any software support after whatever is initially on the phone. That's pathetic.
That is not a platform that I want to develop for, nor is it one that I want to even use. Google needs to take a serious look at this fragmentation and take care of it, or Windows Phone really will take over its current position. After all, it's not like most Android users have a track record for buying non-free apps that are locking them to the platform.
Re:Microsoft plays catchup? (Score:4, Informative)
... iphones have been doing for years?
Tehehe
Re:Multi-tasking (Score:4, Informative)
No. Xenix was introduced earlier in the '80s, and MP/M before that, on various (non-Commodore) personal computer architectures.
Re:A Little More Information (Score:2, Informative)
it would be extremely trivial for such a compromised phone to broadcast and infect all XBox 360's within range
A browser exploit can cause a phone to spontaneously sprout limbs, open your 360, connect itself to the JTAG header, and perform the NAND dumping and flashing nonsense currently required to run unsigned code? That's one hell of a phone!
Ooh. Nokias are real nasty. You've gotta respect the Japanese. They know the way of the samurai.