Microsoft’s Mango Update Sweetens Windows Phone
Sunday, December 18th, 2011Hoping to revive its flagging smartphone efforts, Microsoft recently released a significant update for its Windows Phone software.
Dubbed Windows Phone 7.5 but code-named Mango, the new software, which just started to show up in new phones, adds a slew of new features. They include the ability to run and easily switch between multiple applications and to quickly scan bar codes and even book covers for more information about physical products, as well as deeper integration with social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.
I’ve been testing a new Mango device — HTC’s Radar 4G — for several weeks. I generally like the software and appreciate the updates. But compared with Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS — which dominate the smartphone market — Mango comes up short in some crucial areas.
Prior to Mango, Windows Phone basically didn’t support multitasking. Users had to return to the home screen to switch applications. And they couldn’t do things like listen to music streamed from a third-party music application like Spotify while using another application.
With Mango, they can. Taking a page from Apple, Microsoft is allowing applications to perform a limited number of functions in the background. Not only will applications be able to stream music from the Internet after you switch apps, but they also can continue to download files, and news applications can check for updates.
Users meanwhile can switch applications in much the same way that they can with an iPhone or an Android device. By holding down the back button, users can see their five most recently used programs, which are represented as thumbnail images. To restart that program, users just swipe left or right and then tap on a thumbnail.
The multitasking system works well and is a much-appreciated addition. But it has several shortcomings. While you can restart programs from the open…
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