How Windows Phone 7 Trumps Android and iOS

techtree ^ | Oct 15, 2010 1815 hrs IST | Rohan Naravane,

[SmokingJoe]

Last week, we told you the things that work against Microsoft's new mobile operating system; Windows Phone 7. Today, we list the top 5 things that actually work in its favor. Actually there are six; but since the first one is obvious, we'd rather not discuss it at length.

With Apple you just have two iPhones to choose from. Windows Phone 7 trumps it there with at least four major manufacturers for now - HTC, Samsung, LG and Dell. Different people have different needs; some want a hardware QWERTY, some don't. So, it gives people a wider choice than what is in Apple's store. The following five points are more in correlation to Android than the iOS:

Strict hardware requirements

Forcing manufacturers to use high-end hardware in their phones for WP7 gives competitive OSes like Google Android brownie points for its ability to run on inexpensive hardware. But on the positive side, this ensures a few things. For one, telling manufacturers to put a 1 GHz processor and graphics acceleration gives Microsoft a minimum benchmark to ensure that the User Interface runs buttery smooth.

In Android, manufacturers have a free hand to make phones with 528 MHz processors that tend to slow the UI down, thus spoiling the experience a little. Initially, WP7 devices will have 800 x 480 pixel capacitive displays, but from what we've heard, lower HVGA displays (320 x 480 pixel) will be supported at a later stage. It's reassuring to know that low-end QVGA displays won't be used like the ones on the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Mini Pro that affect readability due to the blurry text.

[antiRepublicrat]

Then you don’t know what you’re talking about. Music, GPS, navigation all continues to run in the background when other apps run, and you can receive - and exit - a call seamlessly.

Microsofts music, Microsoft's GPS, Microsoft's navigation, Microsoft's phone software -- and only Microsoft's -- gets to do this. The issue is what third-party software is allowed to do. You yourself said all third-party software gets paused. The iPhone allows certain necessary functions to continue.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Again, you show you don’t understand. Twitter - the Twitter-created program - multitasks in the background. Microsoft will check to make sure it’s stable and not a CPU hog, then allow that program to multitask.

Flat out - you’re wrong. Quit spreading FUD.

[antiRepublicrat]

Again, you show you don’t understand. Twitter - the Twitter-created program - multitasks in the background. Microsoft will check to make sure it’s stable and not a CPU hog, then allow that program to multitask.

You yourself, and your source, said apps get paused. They also can receive notifications and be woken up, like Twitter. That is not the same as multitasking, which means actually running in the background, like apps can do in Android, and can now do to some extent on the iPhone.

Audio at the bottom here

[MS rep] "...music will play in the background, video..."
[interviewer] "Third party music services?"
[MS Rep] "No, Zune music service..."
[interviewer] "So only first party."
[MS Rep] "Right."

Only Microsoft apps get to run in the background. Everything else gets paused and has to rely on notifications. Also,

“We do not allow third-party applications running on the phone to execute in the background,” said Charlie Kindel, manager of Microsoft’s Windows Phone App Platform and Developer Experience program, in a phone interview with Wired.com. “We’re poised to support it eventually, but in order to support great battery life and great end-user experience, we’re focusing on the integrated experiences first.”

No FUD, the exact capabilities of WP7, which are behind the competition out of the gate.

[Revolting cat!]

I for one welcome our Microsoft overlords.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Hey, if you want to redefine terms like multitasking to mean different things on different platforms, go ahead. The fact remains: any “multitasking” you can do on the iPhone, you can do on WP7. Your protestations to the contrary notwithstanding.

I’m done, you’re just being argumentative for argument’s sake. If you want to actually LEARN, let’s open up the WP7 SDK and we can start talking. Otherwise, go away...

[antiRepublicrat]

Hey, if you want to redefine terms like multitasking to mean different things on different platforms, go ahead.

I have never changed definitions. Right here I said no free multitasking like Android, which means Android fans will have a problem with it. On another thread I said it's behind the iPhone's more managed multitasking, and it is (as in not allowing it at all for third-party software). You are the one who, to my amazement, compared WP7 "multitasking" to cooperative multitasking, showing a complete lack of understanding of the different models of multitasking.

The fact remains: any “multitasking” you can do on the iPhone, you can do on WP7.

Absolutely not. I've given you the words straight from Microsoft sources. Only Microsoft apps get to multitask, period. That is not true for Android or iOS.