Windows Phone 7 To Get Multi-Tasking, IE9, Xbox Integration

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.

Comments

Re:A Little More Information

[hairyfeet]

Wow check out the total blind hatred! Do ya think if the article replaced MSFT with Apple, IE 9 with Safari, and

Xbox with AppleTV your reaction would be the same? Is having plenty of competition REALLY so damned bad Eldavojohn? Personally I'd be happy if we end up with a nice healthy ecosystem with WebOS, WinPhone,Android, and iOS all competing thus making things better for us, the consumer by giving us plenty of choice.

Call me weird but I actually like competition and a free market. That way if ANY of the companies have serious breakdowns like you describe I can simply vote with my dollars. Strange concept but it is better IMHO than rampant fanboyism.

And finally I would just like to point out I got labeled a troll for daring to point out this very thing was the whole point of the Xbox to get MSFT into the living room where they could then offer integrated solutions such as X360+Windows 7+WinPhone. Wow, is the Hairyfeet psychic? Nope, if I was I'd have already picked the correct numbers for powerball. Nope it is just a little thing known as common sense and looking at things from a business perspective instead of blind fanboyism.

It is simple: People like seamless, people like simple, people like "it just works" which is why Apple is making out like bandits. MSFT has already made integration between the X360 and the Win 7 desktop simple and seamless, this was the final piece in the puzzle. This lets you carry lower res versions or minigames with you than then affect your game at home, will let you hook into and access your media from Win 7, it will all be nice and smooth and seamless.

Will it sell? Who knows, MSFT still has a seriously big hill to climb and Apple still puts out great devices that everybody wants. There is also the fact that those burnt on WinMo in the past may not be willing to give them another chance, but in that respect having the name tie into Windows 7, which is a very good and popular OS, was a smart move. this fight is still too early to call, the only sure bet I'd make right now is RIM is probably toast. But we have iOS, Android, WinPhone 7, and soon to be WebOS all duking it out for a piece of the pie and that sounds like a win for the consumer. Choice is always good, right?