According to a MobileCrunch tipster (who is actually a developer) Microsoft is going pretty Apple-like with the upcoming Windows Mobile 7. Apart from the old rumors of the WM 7 making an official appearance at MWC next month we now hear that Microsoft has thoroughly rewired the OS such that it has no backward compatibility (i.e. none of the old apps would run on new devices) and the new interface is just as’ what we have seen with the Zune HD.
Apart from the Zune HD kernel powering the OS, WinM0 7 does away with background processes. Yes! Developers would now rely on iPhone style push notifications and not multitasking. Microsoft would define the standards for the hardware much more closely with the new OS and manufacturers would be allowed to build devices for the platform only if they adhere to these specifications (namely RAM, screen type/size, CPU). Customizations done by manufacturers (e.g.| HTC’s Sense UI) would no longer by supported, and the UI would be what Microsoft offers. Xbox Live for gaming + messaging and Zune integration is also expected.
Update: Just in more rumors suggesting that there might be two versions of the WM 7 OS, Business & Media. While the business version would allow some lower specs and customizations by manufacturers, the criteria for the media version would be much more stringent. LG’s Apollo and HTC’s Obsession are said to be the first two handsets that would feature WM 7, both being capable of recording 720p videos. Though nothing official yet…
