Microsoft explains WP7 Mango's nav tweaks, multitasking
updated 04:10 pm EDT, Fri July 8, 2011
Mango WP7 updates detailed by Microsoft
On its Windows Phone blog on Friday, Microsoft revealed the upcoming changes found within the Windows Phone 7 Mango update. One change to make navigating a large number of apps easier involved adding a quick jump menu, just like the one used to find contacts, to the App list. The alphabetical headers that separate the apps won't be seen unless there are at least 45 apps installed, however, to make the screen more visually appealing.
Another way to find apps is to type in their name into the search box option. It filters apps as users type, just like the People search.
Also detailed is how to multitask. A task switcher works by taking users to a half-completed task by pressing and holding the Back button. The process brings up the last five windows that show the last five things or apps used in the order of using them. These could involve half-written e-mails, a paused game or the last-viewed photo, Microsoft uses as examples.
The development team will look for user feedback to see if they should increase the number of apps visible in the task switcher screen.
Contact quick jump menu
App list quick jump menu
App search
Task switcher
