Review of the Windows Phone 7

You can always tell when Microsoft as learned their lesson. They release something terrible- the Zune, Xbox 360, Kinect, and Windows Vista, all come to mind. They desperately try to squeeze as many sales out of it while making minimal effort to fix it and secretly prepping its successor. Then comes the day when they release this new hardware and pretend the previous one didn't exist. Each time Microsoft just had to look at what beat their product and steal whatever they could from it instead of innovating. Is the Windows Phone 7 fated to join that list?

Believe it or not, it isn't likely. While by no means perfect, it is a very impressive piece of tech. The main advantage to it being that Apple has dropped the ball so many times recently that there's now a chink in its armor- a vulnerable spot to take advantage of. The main mistake the Windows Phone 7 has made is not shooting for a lower price point to undercut sales from the iPhone.

I was surprised by how fast the Windows Phone 7 is. The operating system is fairly quick and painless to utilize. There are some blunders in terms of user-friendliness and customization, but these won't bother everyone. If you're a fan of tweaking your phone to your liking, it will struggle. While it lacks the subtle affability of the Android line, it does manage to be very reliable.

Just a few minutes of using the OS is enough to see the blatant theft from the iPhone. While this isn't inherently bad, it is disappointing for those hoping to see something fresh and innovative. One perplexing feature or lack thereof, is the inability to alter the ringtone. That's the feeling you get a lot with this thing- that Microsoft wants it this way and that's not changing. While Microsoft tries desperately to come across as the 'carefree, young slacker', it still retains its usual 'set in his ways old man'.

The presentation and general media output on it is fantastic. The text is very easy to read and the general aesthetics are appealing. There are times when you'll have to adjust some settings to get a better interface, but what doesn't require that? One of the main annoyances is how crowded the screen can get as well as how cumbersome it can be navigate.

On the application side, things are a bit light. This is clearly attributed to its recent launch, but that won't be a valid excuse to consumers looking for what's best for them. Ultimately it will be the widening library of the OS that determines its fate, but by then it may be too late. Fortunately Microsoft seems to have put a lot more effort into their Windows 7 phone operating system than Kinect- that piece of garbage still makes me cringe. In the end you have a worthwhile alternative that needs to grow its beard a bit before justifying its price tag.