Well gang, it's been a long time coming, but it seems we're finally going to get the Live Anywhere integration Microsoft began teasing four whole years ago. We're finding it awfully difficult to be jaded, however, as the mobile counterpart to Xbox Live will make its debut on the recently announced Windows Phone 7 -- a sleek little device which we're periodically switching between browser tabs to ogle. Click past the jump to see a demo of the phone's capabilities.
According to a Microsoft press release, the Xbox Live integration on Windows' new mobile platform "delivers the first and only official Xbox LIVE experience on a phone, including Xbox LIVE games, Spotlight feed and the ability to see a gamer's avatar, Achievements and gamer profile." We've contacted Microsoft to find out exactly what types of games are going to be offered on the device. We hope its the same lot that's available on the Zune HD -- the more electronic devices on which we can play Audiosurf, the better.
they need a ZuneHD phone...PERIOD....the OS is damn near the same as what s on the ZuneHD...and all Win7Series phones will have FM radio...but I want them to make at LEAST one with HD Radio as well as a screen as good or or better than the ZuneHDs vibrant screen
Its identical. You just need to click to get to the only Zune interface. I would buy it. I just want that same shell and stuff. Nothing changed for the worse from the Zune HD to the Phone. OLED, HD radio..all that!
I also forgot to mention that they really need to open the app store. Look at all these Iphone devs. From what i hear the ZHD is slightly easier to code on. So let them make some damn games!
NOTE TO EVERYONE: This may or may not support XNA. The big rumor that was 100% true said xna would be supported, but nobody check yet. XNA being on it, would allow for homebrew games without having to pay 400 bucks for software.
DEAR MICROSOFT, LET ME PROGRAM ON YOUR DEVICE! NO I AM NOT PAYING 400 BUCKS TO DO SO! - TIPTUP300
I agree, One of the most anticipated features is the ability for it to seamlessly use it with your ZuneHD just like iTunes. Other feasible rumors is it using TouchFlo and Sense and some dash of silverlight 3.0. Original Codenae: http://su.pr/6keZTu
You can already code for the Zune HD. It just won't be an official app with all the bells and wistles like a retail app. I have a few unoffical apps. Its not homebrew either. Xna allows you to pop them onto your Zune to 'test' your code.
for real...depending on what the browser is like, ease of use, number of useful apps....I may be dropping my iPhone...WinMo 7 Series is looking great....Multiple running apps is a MUST and they pulled it off as well as the fluid OS....
" * Built on top of Zune HD Kernel * Fixed Screen size * Will show best results on OLED screens * Hardware manufactures will develop the phone in accordance with the specs provided by * Microsoft, otherwise the door is open for them * A Zune HD like UI with a few phone-specific controls * A Usual processor, not a speedy one * Capacitive multi-touch screen * Lacks background processing * To use Apple like notification service * Built on top of Silvelight and .NET (as we stated previously) * No multi-tasking * No access to system resource * No Process threading * Lacks visual voicemail * Won’t run Windows Mobile 6.x apps "
While it's finally a step in the right direction for them, apple notification is nothing to boast about (when compared to the Pre). I'm going to take a wait and see approach to this one. Looks like Microsoft if finally getting it that integration is what they need. They are definitely taking some risks with this new O/S but kudos to them for trying.
oh hell....I hope thats not True....in the press conference I was watching they said that instead of having to close and app and go to another you could simply jump back and forth between apps with ease.....hell they had a promo video about it....so what the hellare they talking about then? I mean they CLEARLY said you can switch back and forth between apps seamlessly....meaning you can listen to music while tweeting, being on facebook, the internet, etc....can't really do that with the iPhone...
Isn't that exactly how it works on the iPhone Chris?
The iPhone multi-tasking support sucks, but I've never understood while people say it's non-existant. Maybe I'm just some kind of super genius, but when I start listening to music and then browse the internet, the music keeps playing. Meanwhile my IM client is still running, and if I get an IM I can view it and respond to it, and then switch back to Safari and my web page will be right where I left it (and will have continued loading while I was in my IM client if it wasn't done yet).
Vcize, I agree there is some multi-tasking feel in the sense that webpages aren't wiped out when you close them and you can listen to music while doing other things, but it really isn't multi-tasking going on. If you are playing a game or using the Engadget app for instance, you have to close them to go look at your email or do anything else. I believe that this new phone is supposed to place whatever you are doing on pause, then allow you to go to another task and return to the one you were doing. That sounds a little closer to multi-tasking to me. Though still, it's placing one activity on hold.
Also, Chris, I gathered the same understanding you did in regard to MS and their multi-tasking with this device. That list above is awfully negative in its wording and I hardly trust it in comparison to what MS is showing to everyone right now.
Vcize only the native apps allow for that....but if I go to facebook or tweetdeck when trying to play music via the iPod app it doesn't play anymore....now if the facebook app & twitter app are all native apps on Win7Series then yea I guess it could be looked at as the same thing...
While I want MS to succeed in their WinPho7 efforts, and I think multitasking would be nice, you're not exactly correct about the iphone and playing music and using the device. It's not just 1st party apps that can play along side the ipod, 3rd party apps can do it too.
What it seems to be is it will stop your music if the app you're loading has sounds or music itself. I have a recipes app that runs just fine along side the music. As does the BoA app, and the iTV app. And the countless others. While I don't doubt that reason the ipod and other sounds can't play together is an iphone limitation... it doesn't kill the music when ANY 3rd party app loads. So if it does for you, either the app has music or the app is designed to stop your music.
Just wanted to put that out there.
(ohhh, and i'm using a 3GS... but i've never heard of it doing this while the others won't.)
I've only tried to play music during a handful of apps....mostly twitter apps(which only have notification sounds) and facebook...which I don't think has any sounds at all....
I don't use my iPhones "iPod" app tho...most of the music I listen to on the thing is in Pandora...which I would LOVE to allow to use in the background....
I'm not exactly sure who is entirely to blame for no Flash support on these huge platforms like WinMo and iPhone OS, but if Adobe is trying to hold out in any way, they are going to get left behind. I have read articles that puts the blame more on Adobe than Apple in the case of iPhone OS, which is contrary to what a lot of people believe, which is that Apple just says no because of online content availability through Flash. Apple has no control of Adobe's plug-in (which is a serious resource hog on mobile devices causing it to be very unstable). If Flash continues to be unstable on mobile platforms, MS and Apple will just continue not to support it so their platforms don't have serious meltdowns trying to run it, and all the negative user reactions associated with it.
Apple is to blame in terms of the iPhone....Steve Jobs REPEATEDLY has talked shit about Adobe...calling them Lazy etc....hell when Macs crazy it tends to be due to flash....thing is....if not for Adobe, Macs would NOT sell like they do now....a LOT of Design schools use Macs to teach Dreamweaver, Photoshop, etc simply because companies in the Design industry use them instead of PCs.....but if Adobe stopped making their programs for Macs and did PC only...then Apple would have BIG issues....
@Chris, but Adobe is being lazy. :) The hardware in mobile devices have a hard time dealing with Flash's resource requirements. Adobe seems unwilling to remedy it and Apple isn't going to risk total OS failure if Flash crashes. It's a stability issue, first and foremost.
As far as Adobe in the professional media market, "apples" to oranges man. Adobe isn't going to stop making professional development tools because of lack of plug-in support on a mobile device. Completely different divisions.
as far as this phone, the no Flash is probly more Microsoft's fault than Adobe holding back, in the sense that WiPho7 coded from the ground up with all new code, so Flash is going to have to be worked on significantly to get it to work well in the new OS
I'll wait to see what games are coming out before making judgement on this, it'll have to have an upcoming line-up of games that are as good or better that what they are doing with the iPhone. Unfortunately the state of gaming on the Android platform still sucks.
Android gaming isn't as bad as some would have you believe. That is... unless you want your overpriced Nazi Zombie and Madden football from the big developers.
Yeah, i've seen that. Not impressed. Yes, I do want games from the big publishers and I think $9.99 or less for handheld games is hardly overpriced - ever owned a PSP or DS?
Every game that has been released on Android and iPhone is much better on the iPhone. Puzzle Bobble, Tetris, Millionare, Bejeweled - all suck on Android but are very nice on iPhone.
I'm not saying great games can't be on the Android platform - they're just not. I check the market almost every day hoping for a great Android game that will impress my spouse - 99.9% the response has been that the game sucks compared to her iPhone version.
When are these launching? My Winmo 6.1 phone is due for an upgrade and I was thinking of getting an Andorid phone, but now I want to wait to try one of these bad boys out!
I have the Droid and have used the Nexus One and they are both awesome phones. If you do not want to wait for WP7S then go with the Nexus One, Droid, Bravo or Incredible. They all are/will be amazing devices and Android is the best Mobile OS I have used with Web OS coming in a close second.
Do you think they officially launch the X Box Live anywhere feature on any OS other than WinMo7? This doesn't even release until Christmas, do I'm guessing it was strategically picked to have the maximum effect of new contract signees.
Also, people like to hate on the iPhone but look how much it changed the mobile phone game in a short period of time. Every new phone is branding itself as a better iPhone with similar features, can't wait to see what Apple does for the next new iteration and not all these marginal upgrades. I have no interest in an iPhone 3GS since I already have a 3G.
There are so many cool phones out there ... a feature like XBox Live anywhere is just the sort of thing MS needs to have their Windows 7 Phone stand out from the crowd.
In the sense that the XBL integration will - most likely - not be available on anything other than a WinMo 7 device.
I have a 360 and an iPhone, and with what features I'm seeing so far on WinMo 7, I just may be dropping my iPhone in favor of an iPod Touch and buying a WinMo 7-enabled device. The integration is something I've been clamoring for ages over, and they're finally showing it off, and it's in the near future.
Yeah, how does it suck? This is probably what a lot of people with Xbox and an iPhone have been waiting for, like me. This is how you win over consumers to your brand.
I have a iPhone 3Gs and was planning on getting the next iPhone when it comes out in June.....but now I'm not so sure....I think I am going to hold off a while to at least get my hands on a Win7Series device....
