Windows Phone 7
A year ago Microsoft decided its Windows Mobile platform was not good enough; it decided to scratch the whole platform and start afresh to better compete in the smartphone market. Sure Windows Mobile was a breakthrough product when it came out, but it relied on technologies of yesterday that in all honestly gave Microsoft no other option.
Out came Windows Phone 7. I remember when Microsoft first demoed the Metro UI, which is the core of the Windows Phone 7 experience. To me it meant that Microsoft was on the right track and I was extremely excited. A lot of the technology was coming straight from the Zune HD which I loved.
The core idea was to bring simplicity, to reduce the required steps to do something in your mobile life. To that end Microsoft has succeeded with an average reduction of over 20%. But beyond just small success, since launch in November 2010, Microsoft has sold over 1 million of these phones.
Beyond simplicity however, the key aspects are integration with what you use. As such deep inside the OS is Facebook, Zune, Xbox Live, and Microsoft Office. Facebook works with your contacts to allow you to see at a glance what they are doing. Zune allows you to take your music with you with an experience this is second to none. Xbox Live allows you to game if you are on an Xbox, a Windows 7 Phone or a Windows 7 PC. Microsoft Office gives you the award winning office suite on your phone. If productive is your goal, you have met your match in a mobile platform.
Even the sceptics are raving about how fast and fluid the OS is. However everything works how the touch keyboard meets up to the iPhone.
Sure Microsoft decided that Windows Mobile was past its day and it was. Maybe they could have rescued it, but by removing all baggage and starting afresh Microsoft has managed to create the best platform out there. The iPhone won’t give you a choice of hardware and Android won’t give you the unified experience on matter what device you buy.
So go give one a try, I did and so did my partner and I’m glad to say it’s the best phones we have ever owned.
