As more detail go forth regarding theupcoming Windows Phone 7series , it seems to be defined more by the feature and functions it miss than the 1 it delivers . Microsoft didthrow out the playbookand start over with Windows Phone 7 — but the new playbook may have been steal from Apple ’s locker room .
Business master queasy for the renewed Microsoft mobile operating organization to set in motion this gloaming may be disappointed with the newsworthiness that Windows Phone 7 does not provide a copy and spread function , wo n’t do true multitasking between applications , and will not plump for Adobe Flash . phone intimate ?
The iPhone initially did not include the ability to re-create and paste , did not support Adobe Flash ( there is financial support now for Flash - based apps , but still no twinkling within the iPhone Web browser app ) , and still does n’t allow true multitasking for third - party apps . However , these were calculated design decision , not defect — so Apple has been reluctant to change the iPhone .
Competitors are quick to signal out these perceived gap in iPhone functionality as marketing tool to set their machine apart — essentially pull a distinction between a consumer gadget , and a business organisation puppet . Verizon ’s marketing campaign for the launch of the Motorola Droid was built around talking abouteverything “ Droid Does”—with the not - so - subtle implication that what Droid does , the iPhone does n’t .
Business exploiter in exceptional — the true , or at least original , audience for high - remainder smartphones — have total to expect that the smartphone gimmick perform as micro computing platforms . The first moment is that anything you may do on a background or notebook reckoner , you may also accomplish on the smartphone — albeit with a virtual or very tiny keyboard , and a much smaller display .
I don’tagree that Flash is a necessity . On the contrary , I see the entanglement ’s reliance on Flash as a weakness that needs to be cover by adopting a banner - based approach like HTML5 to deliver the sort of functionality currently being delivered by the proprietary Adobe engineering . Until that happens , though , Flash is still a big part of the online experience .
Unlike Apple , however , Microsoft is working with Adobe to break Flash for the Windows Phone 7 serial — just not in time for the launch . That , in and of itself , is a slight mind - boggling moot that Windows Phone 7 is a year or two behind docket . If Microsoft bucket along it out , I could understand plunge with some wanting functionality , but it seems that there has been plenty of prison term to process these things out with the repeated ontogenesis delays for the raw political platform .
C’est la vie ! The other two functions , though — copy and paste , and multitasking — are conscious pattern decision by Microsoft . Microsoft has replaced the traditional copy and paste functionality with smartlinks . fundamentally , Microsoft determined that copying and pasting is most often used for thing like prompt an address from an e - mail to a mapping program , or channel a phone telephone number from a Web land site to the phone function .
Rather than ply standard copy and paste , Windows Phone 7 recognizes things like address and phone numbers and makes them into link that foresee what the user will desire to use that information for . According to some theme , genuine copy and paste is another role that might be added after , but just wo n’t be quick for the ( repeatedly stay ) launching of Windows Phone 7 . Smartlinks sound prissy , but wo n’t aid me copy and paste a condemnation in a Word doc , or cut and glue a chemical formula in an Excel spreadsheet .
Despite merchandising ballyhoo from iPhone competitors , Microsoft ’s conclusion on multitasking seems tovalidate Apple ’s position for the iPhone — ironic given the increased guess that Apple will ultimately cave and add true multitasking in the next major release of the iPhone OS . While the current Windows Mobile operating organization can multitask , Microsoft is mimicking the iPhone unitasking by automatically cease third - political party apps each time the Start button is pressed .
Like Apple , Microsoft feels that the potential battery drainage from too many apps running , especially apps that the user does n’t even understand are still running , has too much of an impact on the user experience for Windows Phone 7 . There are also security system implications of multitasking , and Mobile River - free-base malware attack can be minimized by restrict multitasking .
The iPhone is iconic and Apple has established it as the smartphone gimmick to get . I am not indisputable that imitate its weaknesses — real or perceive — as well as its strong suit is a sound strategy for make a rightful “ iPhone killer ” , though .
Tony Bradley is co - author ofUnified Communications for Dummies . He tweets as@Tony_BradleyPCW . you could follow him on hisFacebook page , or meet him by Es - chain mail attony_bradley@pcworld.com .
