Palm WebOS 1.4 vs. Windows Mobile 7

By
Max Kanter
Published: February 21, 2010

winMoPalm

Well you had to know that this was coming ever since Microsoft announced Windows Mobile 7 in Barcelona, the inevitable comparison that comes when two new major smartphones or in this case smartphone operating systems come out. Now of course this site is about WebOs but we figured that users should know how it ranks up with other operating systems. Keep in mind though, that both Systems are pre-release so there is some speculation in here. Also, WinMo 7 isn't supposed to be launched until Decemeber so we will hopefully see some newer versions of WebOs then 1.4 by then.

  Windows Mobile 7 WebOs 1.4
Multitasking Support Yes with multiple apps running at the same time and updating live in your home screen Yes with each app having its own card and you can flip through them. Apps can also live in the background or in the dashboard
Multiple Devices Yes but Microsoft doesn't build the hardware for their devices so all devices will be built be third party companies such as htc, LG, etc. Yes, however Palm makes all of their own devices so their will be significantly fewer devices than windows mobile.
Third Party Apps Windows mobile has always had a rich history of third party a pps, however it looks as if the new framework of WinMo 7 will not be backwards compatible with older apps so all apps will probably have to be partially rewritten or run through an on-device emulator Palm WebOs has an on device catalog of over 1,500 apps at the time of writing this and nearly 600 homebrew apps. However, all apps right now must be programmed in JavaScript so there is no real hardcore 3D games yet, Palm has built their "PDK" Which allows developers to make these games but it won't be released to the general public for a couple of months.
Media Playback Microsoft has announced that with Series 7 People will be able to sync their phones with Zune software which is a full fledged media catalog where you can either purchase songs for around $0.99 or pay $15.00 a month for an unlimited access subscription Palm has been somewhat limiting on this while the phone can play many media formats it can't play DRM protected music like a zune syncing Windows phone could. It has also been unable to sync with a desktop software for some time now as Apple currently prevents it from syncing with iTunes, but it is possible for that functionality to come back in WebOs 1.4. As of now the main way to get music on the device is to purchase it ovedr the air from Amazon.
Flash Support It is not imposible with Adobe making Flash open to devices that it will come to WinMo 7 but so far Microsoft has announced that it will ship in December without Flash. Yes yes and yes again, Palm has decided to be one if not the first company to work with Adobe in making this happen. After WebOs 1.4 comes out Flash will be released as an app in the catalog for anybody to install for free. While we have no date on this flash plugin it should be out before mid-March.
Methods of Input Since Windows mobile has to run on a slew of devices it is designed to allow for any type of input. From resistive touchscreen to capacitive touch screens to plain old buttons. This is both good and bad, its good because it allows for you to buy the device that suits you best but its bad because the OS can't be optimized for just one type of device. WebOs does run on multiple devices (four at the time of writing) but isn't quite as open as Windows Mobile. All WebOs devices will probbably have capacitive touch screens and so far they all have physical keyboard. However, Palm has said that they intend to launch a device with no physical keyboard and just an on-screen one. Once again this can be looked at both ways. The OS can be tailored to the device but it limits how much choice the user has.
Browsers Windows Mobile runs a mobile internet explorer and I own a Zune HD and can honestly say that it is one of the best mobile browsing experiences I have ever seen but I have noticed it to be somewhat slower than my Pre when both are on wifi. WebOs uses a webkit based browser similiar to that on the iphone. It runs really well and loads pages faster than any mobile device I have ever seen when on wifi. However, I have noticed it to be somewhat less responsive to my touch than than my Zune, but hey when they get flash on it, it will be unbeatable.

Well, this is just the first of what will probably be many of these before Windows Mobile comes out in December, drop a comment and let us know what you think. A smartphone is really just a choice of personal preferences and most people will probably be more than happy with either one of these Systems. To tell you the truth I'm a Pre user right now and I can't decide whether or not I will move to Windows Mobile in December, I also program apps for WebOs so like I said personal preference. One thing is for sure though, if you do choose WebOs download the MxWeb apps and apps by me Jason Teplitz.