“Charlie Kindel, who is in charge of Microsoft’s Windows Phone developer strategy, described a much more controlled, iPhone-like experience for formerly freewheeling Microsoft in an interview at the MIX10 conference here,” Segan reports. “Microsoft needed to exercise some control to provide a great set of consumer experiences, Kindel said.”
Segan reports, “Like the iPhone, Windows Phone 7 won’t support third-party apps being able to run in the background. But third parties will get access to a wider range of services than are available on the iPhone. For instance, Pandora could stream in the background using a special background-music service, Kindel said.”
MacDailyNews Take: Gee, wonder what iPhone OS 4.0 might bring to iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad users come June? And, Sascha, third-party apps can already stream in the background on iPhone. It’s up to Pandora to implement the capability, not Apple.
Segan continues, “Those third-party apps will all have to be installed from Microsoft’s own Marketplace, Kindel said. Initially, there won’t even be a way for enterprise customers to deploy apps to their staffs, but Microsoft is working on one.”
MacDailyNews Take: Apple forced Microsoft back to square one; Redmond is years behind.
Segan continues, “The first Windows Phone 7 devices will come out during ‘the holidays’ of 2010, Kindel confirmed.”
MacDailyNews Take: And nobody in their right mind will buy one. There is no need (see: Palm) for yet another poor me-too iPhone imitation (unless Apple’s protection of their hard-earned IP retards Google’s Android to the point where some other fake iPhone OS is needed by device assemblers).
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Windows Phone 7 Series. Upside-down, backwards, and lacking in order to avoid infringing on Apple’s patented user-friendly UI methods, with far fewer accessories, way less third-party support, about 150,000 fewer apps, no iTunes, no iTunes Store, no built-in iPod (you get stuck with a Zune instead), and no cachet. All for about the same price or more. No sale.
come on MDN. the iPhone is NOT 5 years ahead of the competition anymore. the UI seems dated already. having to pop into an app, close that app, return to home screen, open new app, repeat, is getting old. yet, this is the OS for the ‘amazing’ iPad.
my friend has a droid and its interface is pretty freaking slick. lets not kid ourselves here.
I agree with you. A little more clean up on the android UI would be nice. Yes overall iPhone wins out. But the UI is getting a bit old.
If iPhone were available on Verizon, there would be much less room for WP7S, or for Android.
There is a big window of opportunity for a workable modern “smartphone” OS on Verizon.
If Apple and iPhone could get together…….
Sprint and T-Mobil etc. should be part of the game too.
@mike g
Why would you support a company like Moto?
They were cool many years agoe. Today? Come on, they don’t know which way to go. Sell all their divisions or connect them. It has all been up in air for quite a few years now.
Comeon MDN,
Microsoft is only just realising that Apple is right the whole time… we should be congratulating them for doing it the right way.
I hope limited multitasking is coming and I’m sure Apple is working on more cool features.
It’s not about UI. It’s about the whole UE user experience, of a rock solid OS, that I don’t have to reboot for months.
And it just works. Yeah Apple is way ahead on this.
The Redmond copiers just never get a break. 🙁
the iphone ui gets old and windows phone 7 (as much as i hate so admit it) looks very interesting. we need some serious innovation for iphone os 4 here. as much as i like the ipad (i will surely get one) i was a little bit shocked when i saw the home screen.
“Come on MDN. the iPhone is NOT 5 years ahead of the competition anymore.”
Maybe not 5 years ahead of Android — which borrowed a “running start” from Apple in the UI department — but it would seem they’re still 5 years ahead of Microsoft.
By the time Windows Phone 7 (basically Microsoft’s v1.0) hits the streets, we’ll almost be at iPhone v5.0).
Windows Phone 7 won’t have cut-copy-paste, background apps, or many apps to speak of generally. Where will Apple be?
I always hear about those oh-so-precious “accessories”.
What are those accessories again?
I never used any other accessory other than the headphone and a charger.
Hey Gang. Question on iPad UI. I think one key missing (???) feature for the ipad is multiuser capability. I would love to buy one for the family, as everyone already has an iphone. (the ATT data plan is why I work such long hours… but anyway). It would be great to have each family member have the ability to see email etc. in there own space. Has anyone heard anything about this being a feature?
@MIke Napolitano, the iPad seems like the perfect place to use that technology. I only know one family who actually uses fast user switching on their mac.
@ disposableidentity
I don’t think Mike N. was referring (necessarily) to fast user switching – only to SOME user switching. I think this is a good point, and should be addressed.
BTW – We use fast user switching all the time.
Seems it is true that Microsoft is copying Apple……copying what they did 2 some years ago.
This whole idea is hilarious!
It seems to have all the things that people complain most about in the iPhone but none of the drivers of success (i.e. the ecosystem).
I see why Apple is encouraging MS here. It will pressure Android and give no real competition to iPhone.
It is like putting a chimp next to an accomplished writer. He can band the typewriter keys, but will produce nothing of value.
I am LMAO!
We can argue about how far ahead Apple is of MS. Whether it is one year or five, MS is still playing catch up. As someone commented at Gizmodo “I don’t see anything the iPhone doesn’t already do.” Once again Apple’s influence is evident. Let us not forget how many people sniped at Apple’s design (which seems like it is now required by all new smart phones) or how they were trashed for features not included at the original launch. Yet here we are in a world conceived and designed by Apple in spite of the flack.
Haha the desperate iPhone haters are out in force now.
“The iPhone UI is getting old.” LOL! Yeah, I just hate it when a UI gets too familiar. I want a new, hip interface every couple of years!
@mike g: having to pop into an app, close that app, return to home screen, open new app, repeat, is getting old
First off, genius, “close that app” and “return to home screen” are one step, not two. Use an iPhone much? Didn’t think so.
Secondly, how the hell else do you open app number 2 without returning to some kind of menu to find it? Unless you’re complaining about not having multiple apps open at the time, which another issue entirely and has little to do with how “old” the iPhone UI is.
Sheesh. This reminds me of gametards whining that KillEverythingInSight 4 isn’t fresh.
——RM
The iPhone OS getting old? Yet it is compared to the new OS that are on the newest phones.
Seems strange, they copy Apple which has an old OS? Yet, if Apple brings out a newer version- all other become old. Thus, making other follows Apples newer OS until they come close and Apple moves the bar ahead.
Wow, they follow with a copy of Apple’s OS. Who would have thunk!
Maybe Microsoft can borrow Scott Forstall to make the presentation of Windows 7.
The interface on the Droid is a joke. The ONLY usable smartphone on the market is the iPhone. Here’s a chart that echoes my sentiments exactly:
iPhone vs. Droid Comparison Chart
Of course, that chart could just as easily be called
iPhone vs. Nexus One Comparison Chart
And soon, it will be called
iPhone vs. Windows Mobile 7 Comparison Chart
For all the people talking about user switching.
I was browsing a mac magazine at the store and I saw a pic I had not seen before.
It showed a settings page, the one with file sharing.
Anyway it had “profiles” and I think I read there could be five.
Was news to me
MeToo$oft gets sadder and sadder with each passing day.
Ballmer: “Original ideas? What me worry.”
I will put my left nut on the chopping block if a single Winblows 7 phone comes out this year.
“around the Holidays” is MeToo$oft’s way of saying “sometime in 2011.”
To add to what I wrote above I suspect the ipad features a software version based on this idea for user profiles. The article is about two years old and was suspected mainly to be in the iPhone.
So based on the “profiles” setting I saw and this patent article I’m guessing the ipad will have some sort of user switching, even if it’s only different profiles for yourself.
http://www.macnn.com/blogs/2008/07/14/apple-invents-user-programmable-switch-for-iphone.html