Hundreds of developers working on apps for Windows Phone 7
If there's one thing clear about the build up to the launch of Windows Phone 7, it's that Microsoft wants to be seen to be listening.
It's an understandable trait, given all the mud that's been slung Steve Jobs' way following antenna issues with iPhone 4, and especially an easy way for Microsoft to differentiate Windows Phone 7 from its main competition.
However, in an interview with Engadget, corporate VP and director of Windows Phone program management Joe Belfiore admitted the giant is in a game of catch-up, rather than pushing the OS beyond its rivals.
"[Full multi-tasking] will be something we'll bring on a little bit later but not initially right out of the gate," Belfiore told the site in a video interview, confirming that first party apps and selective elements of thirdparty apps will be able to run in the background, but no more.
Windows update
Nevertheless, Microsoft is already working with partners to implement the feature in future updates, he added - updates that will, in his view, become fairly common practice.
Indeed, Belfiore hinted that Microsoft plans to follow a fairly similar line as Apple's regular iOS refreshes to keep the platform in touch and contemporary, stating that getting a Windows Phone 7 handset will give you access to all software updates that follow because of standardised hardware.
"I'm not saying it wouldn't be great to get some of these features in," he continued, also confirming that copy and paste functionality won't make launch.
"We'll work on some of them, but there's a really good experience that you can get without some of these things."
Developer derby
A good experience that, if Belfiore is to be believed, has already enticed scores of developers to the system.
"There are in the high number of hundreds getting up past a thousand [working on the platform]," he stated.
"The truth is, it's hard for us to know. There have been a ton thousands and thousands and thousands of tool downloads. Up into the hundreds of thousands.
"Go onto YouTube and look for apps that people are developing and you'll see lots and lots of examples of interesting things people are working on."
X marks the spot
All games will have to embrace, Xbox Live integration on the OS something Belfiore pitches quite plainly as Xbox 360's 'XBLA on mobile'.
"Live Arcade has a good library of apps, and there's a regular heartbeat of new apps coming online. It's well curated to include a wide range of different titles and types, and that's the kind of thing you'll see at launch with Windows Phone."
You can see the interview in full over at Engadget.