Microsoft fans rejoice! Microsoft has apparently finally come up with a winner. It’s about time. We can expect Windows Mobile 7 series handsets by this holiday season. It looks like Microsoft has come up with a truly competitive Operating system which can give the titans iPhone OS and Android a run for their money.
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Microsoft has designed this OS for ‘Life in Motion’. The thing that Microsoft has done right this time is the fact that they have started from scratch. They have severed all their ties with the previous mobile operating systems and have come out with something that is being appreciated globally. This indeed is the last chance for Microsoft to remain as a competitor in the cell phone industry and they have apparently done well. Unfortunately, they have not released much technical information about the OS and the Microsoft website also has nothing to enlighten us. The OS seems to be slightly, very slightly influence by Zune’s interface.
The windows Mobile 7 series handset had 3 main buttons for its working- The Start menu, Back and Search button. Windows Mobile 7 has organized contents on its OS through ‘Hubs’. They are an amalgamation of the local and the dynamic online content which guarantees a smoother and easier to access process for the user. People hub will allow you to stay connected with your friends. Microsoft demonstrated Facebook and Microsoft Live Service on the OS. It has all the features you need as a social networker allowing you to update status, upload pics etc. Hopefully, Twitter and other services will also be added.
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The Multimedia Hub is what you will find on any Zune. It has access to pictures and music and largely borrows from the Zune interface.
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There is also the Games Hub. Microsoft has already made this OS a favorite among gamers owning XBOX by adding the XBOX synchronization to Windows Mobile 7. In the Games Hub, you can chat with your fellow gamers, share statistics, watch game demos etc with the help of XBOX Live.
Microsoft has also tried to up their Applications store. To buy apps for your phone, there is the marketplace hub. The Marketplace will soon be offering a huge number of apps soon (You need to compete with Apple App Store!). It will also act as an application manager allowing you install and update new applications of your liking. Lastly, we have the Office hub. As the name suggest, it will host all your office applications. This will be used to create and organize your data on documents, notes, presentations, calendar events etc. Microsoft confirmed that this OS will have no support for Flash. This seems to be the trend nowadays with Apple doing away with Flash as well on their major product. Due to the sparse technical details, we cannot assure for sure if it has multi tasking. A statement by Joe Belfiore, Director of Windows Phone, hints that it may have selective multitasking, much like the iPhone. This is what he had to say about multitasking on Windows Mobile 7.
“The core operating system is a modern multitasking operating system. If you play music for example, the music will play back as you navigate around the experience…if you’re using email, we have great support for push email and that happens in the background.For third party applications—we’ll get into a lot more detail on this in MIX—but we have a few ways we’re going to make sure that third parties can bring their value to the user even when the app is not running. Live tiles are an example. Data feeds in the hubs are another example for some apps.”
Microsoft has come up with an innovative way of organizing things. Let’s see if it works.
Comparisons are inevitable. Its iPhoneOS vs WInMo7. We all love the feel of the iPhone OS. The sleek interface has always been a favorite among all. Does Windows Mobile 7 match up to it? Well, the initial impression suggests that iPhone OS has a competitor. What works in Microsoft’s favor is the fact that they completely discarded all notions about mobile operating systems. In the process, they have come out with something so unique and different that it is a treat just to watch it in action. This OS is as different as the iPhone OS was when it released. Microsoft has completely taken a new path, and finally it seems they have found the right track.
