Two steps forward, one step back. That seems to be an emerging trend for Microsoft's upcoming Windows Phone 7 Series platform. The snazzy user interface, support for the XNA Framework/Silverlight/Adobe Flash 10.1, Windows Phone Marketplace, and plentiful device manufacturers to choose from are certainly pleasing to potential buyers. However, we're starting to learn a little bit more about the platform at MIX10 and it isn't all rosy.
Yesterday, we learned that Windows Phone 7 Series will not support true multitasking. Instead, the mobile operating system will support a push notification called Microsoft Notification Service (MNS). The MNS works almost exactly like the push notification system currently enabled on Apple's iPhone.
"How do you trade-off battery life at the same time? As soon as you allow arbitrary apps to do things in the background, it can run out the battery pretty quickly," said Microsoft's Scott Guthrie at a MIX10 roundtable according to Gizmodo.
Interestingly enough, Windows Mobile 6.x supports multitasking so it's a notable backwards move for the platform.
In another blow to power users -- and another feature that is present on current Windows Mobile smartphones -- is the news that copy and paste won't be supported initially at launch according to Engadget. Apple was lambasted for the lack of copy and paste on the iPhone and it wasn't until iPhone OS 3.0 that the feature was added to the smartphone. It's almost inconceivable that Microsoft would choose to show up late to the party (Q4 2010) without some semblance of copy and paste for its flagship mobile OS.
Microsoft hasn't ruled out that copy and paste may appear in later iterations of Windows Phone 7 Series operating system, but don't hold your breath expecting to see it in time for the Holiday '10 season.
Source: DailyTech
