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Forums - Microsoft Discussion - A few new rumored WinMo 7 details.

JaggedSac on 08 February 2010

http://www.ppcgeeks.com/2010/02/06/exclusive-breaking-news-windows-phone-7-details-emerge-from-the-depths/

With the Mobile World Congress event making its way around the corner, we can all be for certain that it is inevitable for Windows Phone 7 to make its long awaited debut. That being said, there have been rumours floating about on what Windows Phone 7 might actually be? For months, almost a year we have seen images being leaked all over the interwebs and although we can all admit we were quite excited, the chances of it looking so or even being real for that matter were highly unlikely. Wait no more! PPCGeeks has some truly amazing information on what the Windows Phone 7 platform will deliver to our beloved handheld devices. All information detailed within may not be entirely official, although it is definitely the closest information we have heard on actually being real. Without wasting anymore time, lets jump into the nitty gritty.

-At the Mobile World Congress event on February 15th, 2010, Windows Phone 7 will be unveilved, although at this time plans are only to unveil the user interface of the new platform . Specific indepth functionality of the device will most likely not be shown.

 

-The User Interface is based upon codename “METRO”. It will be very similar to the Zune HD User Interface with a complete revamp of the “Start” screen. The UI is “Very Clean”, “Soulful” and “Alive”
-Unfortunately there will be no Flash support at the get go as there was not enough time to implement these features.
-Windows Phone 7 will only support application installation through service based delivery. (i.e Marketplace). Application installation via storage card will not be possible.
- No Multi-Task support. Applications will “Pause” when in the background, however will support notifications via push notifications.
-Marketplace will now support “try before you buy” as well as an API
-No NETCF backwards compatibility. This means the original rumor of no backward compatibility for applications holds to be true. That being said, there are high hopes of porting the NetCF to the newer platform easily.
-Microsoft is confident that devices will be ready by September 2010
-Full Zune Integration
-Windows Mobile Device Center will no longer be used. Zune software to take over syncing via PC.
-OEM Interfaces will not be allowed to run on the device. Say goodbye to Sense UI / SPB Mobile Shell / Point UI / Infinity, etc, etc
-Full XBOX Gaming Integration (Gamer tag, achievements, friends, avatars, merchandising, etc)
-Full support for social networking

There is a plethora of details to go through, although listed above are the biggest impact points of Windows Phone 7. Throughout the day we will be emerging more information as we delve deep into the depths of what might possibly be Windows Phone 7.

This is a lot of information to consume in one shot and there could very well be the possibility of it being once again another rumor, although one thing stands true. This is the most detailed promising information we’ve seen to date in a while. We will continue to update you as we find out more information.

 

 

MS must love synergy :)  Zune integration with WinMo is a great idea.  Especially if they borrow from the UI.  The ZuneHD UI is figgen AMAZING!!  MS might even let service providers give free ZunePass subscriptions for using the phone.  XBox integration is cool as well.  I almost wish I hadn't purchased an Android phone a couple months ago.  But by the time I need a new phone, WinMo 7 will probably just be getting into its stride.



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Darth Tigris on 08 February 2010

See . . . this is what makes purchasing a smartphone (superphone?) so frustrating right now. Apple's OS vs. Android vs. WinMo7 is hard enough, but you also have to consider service provider AND phone manufacturer and features. UGH!!!

Zune and XBL intergration INSTANTLY makes WinMo7 appealing to me, but as a faithful Verizon customer nothing looks more attractive than a Droid to me (played with a friend's last night and I was giddy). But if Big Red gets the iPhone (rumored) and a comparably featured WinMo phone . . . I think I'm going to scream.



famousringo on 08 February 2010

This is probably going to sound negative, but... this sounds like an iPhone OS that integrates into Microsoft's software and services instead of Apple's. That's going to be great for people who are very invested in MS's ecosystem, but is there anything else that differentiates WinMo 7 from competitors?

Seems like this might help MS hold ground in the mobile market, but it doesn't have much ground to hold at this point.



"The worst part about these reviews is they are [subjective]--and their scores often depend on how drunk you got the media at a Street Fighter event."  — Mona Hamilton, Capcom Senior VP of Marketing
*Image indefinitely borrowed from BrainBoxLtd without his consent.

JaggedSac on 08 February 2010
famousringo said:
This is probably going to sound negative, but... this sounds like an iPhone OS that integrates into Microsoft's software and services instead of Apple's. That's going to be great for people who are very invested in MS's ecosystem, but is there anything else that differentiates WinMo 7 from competitors?

Seems like this might help MS hold ground in the mobile market, but it doesn't have much ground to hold at this point.

WinMo is more comparable to Android.  It is an OS that hardware manufacturers can use on a device they are making.  Apple is the only one who uses the iPhone OS(not sure what the name is).  HTC, Motorola, etc have all made Android devices. 

As for what differentiates it, you could have asked the same question about Android.



JaggedSac on 08 February 2010

Even more:

http://tech.icrontic.com/news/microsoft-working-to-unite-parts-of-xbox-windows-and-winmo/

A reputable source has informed Icrontic this week that Microsoft has begun efforts to unify the company’s Xbox, Windows and Windows Mobile software platforms.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a source close to Microsoft inferred that the company has already been working to resolve some of the internal agility issues highlighted last week by ex-Microsoft Vice President Dick Brass. A defining feature of those efforts, our source tell us, is the company’s work to make the underpinnings of the firm’s PC, Xbox and smartphone operating systems broadly compatible with one another. Though the eventual extent of the unification is unknown, our source said that the development of a common API is already in motion.

“I’ve seen/heard lots of developer outcry from friends… who want a more unified API for programming on Windows/WinMo/XBox, I know I do,” our source said via email. “Take XNA games and XBox. That’s a single unified manner in which to write games for Windows & XBox so I would say its not entirely impossible that it could be extended beyond entertaining ourselves.”

An API, or application programming interface, facilitates application development by providing software developers with a common, easy and meaningful way of interacting with the useful functions of a service. For example, the Google Maps API easily enables third-party developers to implement maps and related data, and defines what can be done with that data once it has been pulled into the application.

An API also defines how applications are to interact with and call upon elements of the host environment. For example, the Microsoft Windows DirectX API provides a relatively easy and standardized way to render graphics.

Unifying the API(s) for Xbox, Windows and Windows Mobile greatly simplifies the road to developing applications that work on all three operating systems. A unified API also empowers Microsoft with the ability to more easily develop convergence applications that permit all the many classes of devices represented by the trio of operating systems to interact in a meaningful manner.

When asked if the API unification was the first step in a broader initiative to unite the the three operating systems, our source said that there were architectural hurdles to consider.

“[T]hat’d be really really complicated… lots of issues to contend with there technologically and politically. Drivers, ISA layouts, the really really low level guts of the kernel and so on may or may not translate well to [smartphones] or PowerPC (assuming XBox continues on a PowerPC trend).”

We cannot ultimately know what Microsoft intends at such a formative stage, but the possibilities are certainly tantalizing. A console with an app store? Xbox LIVE services on a phone? Windows Mobile games? An ARM port of Windows? Whatever Microsoft has in store for its product ecosystem, we think more than a few fans and developers just got a little hot under the collar.

Bonus round: Our source also commented that he wouldn’t be surprised if Steven Sinofsky, the president of the Windows division and the man in charge of windows 7, became the next CEO of Microsoft. The implication was that Ballmer was largely out of touch with the public, whereas Sinofsky’s critically-acclaimed Windows 7 shows great understanding for the public’s wants.

 

 

It would definitely be a notch in their belt if they develop a unified app store.  Probably using Zune branding as the backbone for distribution.  I always thought XNA should be expanded past simply games.  Open the API up a bit and let creators make interesting things for people.  This unification is probably one of the reasons why they are discontinuing service for XBox original Live services.  Definitely for the greater good here.


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Squilliam on 08 February 2010

Sounds pretty cool, more competition in the mobile space means better features and better prices for us.



Tease.

famousringo on 08 February 2010
JaggedSac said:
famousringo said:
This is probably going to sound negative, but... this sounds like an iPhone OS that integrates into Microsoft's software and services instead of Apple's. That's going to be great for people who are very invested in MS's ecosystem, but is there anything else that differentiates WinMo 7 from competitors?

Seems like this might help MS hold ground in the mobile market, but it doesn't have much ground to hold at this point.

WinMo is more comparable to Android.  It is an OS that hardware manufacturers can use on a device they are making.  Apple is the only one who uses the iPhone OS(not sure what the name is).  HTC, Motorola, etc have all made Android devices. 

As for what differentiates it, you could have asked the same question about Android.

I have, and the primary answer was immediately apparent: Open source software. Beyond that, Android offers a few key features that some people find very important such as multitasking and Flash. WinMo 7 offers none of that. And of course, just like Apple and MS, Android is designed to integrate tightly with Google's various other software and service platforms.

So if you desire the most open and flexible mobile platform, you pick Android, and if you want the most streamlined and integrated user experience, you pick iPhone OS. I'm trying to figure out what WinMo 7 will do better than any other major mobile OS, and "integrate with Windows/Xbox/Zune" is the only answer I can see right now. I realize that we're just looking at rumours right now, I was just wondering if there was some killer feature of WinMo 7 that I was missing.



"The worst part about these reviews is they are [subjective]--and their scores often depend on how drunk you got the media at a Street Fighter event."  — Mona Hamilton, Capcom Senior VP of Marketing
*Image indefinitely borrowed from BrainBoxLtd without his consent.

pbroy on 08 February 2010







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Falcon095 on 09 February 2010

While this sounds pretty interesting it's quite a disappointing to be honest, hopefully these are just rumors.



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psrock on 09 February 2010

They should call it Wintouch and come out a with a tablet version called wInpad.



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