1. What is Windows Phone 7?
It is Microsoft’s attempt at creating a mashup of an OS-Launch (Android) and a phone release (the iPhone). It focuses on widgets or ‘hubs’ (as they put it) instead of apps like we have on the iPhone
2. Is it the Zune Phone?
Not really. You have a Zune ‘hub’ on the Windows Phone 7. You also have a XBox Live and Bing
3. What would the phones look like?
Form factors will be many. But on a basic level, you will have 800x480px screens with capacitive touch. Will have atleast 3 buttons (Back, Home and Search). Will have accelerometers. Can have a slide-out QWERTY, but will most definitely NOT be a candybar non-touch form factor
4. Carrier support?
Most probably AT&T will get it first – Chances are that they might release an unlocked unsubsidized version just like Google did for the Nexus One. Since it is just an OS, Verizon should also be launching phones with CDMA support
5. Office and Email support?
This should be one of the selling point for this OS. Will definitely have a limited version of their Office suite, have Exchange with ActiveSync
6. Sync with non-windows operating systems
Not very likely since there is no Zune support on the Mac. But third party plugins will come to play. Plus, will you really buy a phone with Microsoft branding on a Mac? 🙂
7. Will it support backward compatibility?
One word – NO. The platform is entirely different, interfaces and input is entirely different
8. iPhone users complain about Multitasking. Multitasking on WP7?
Microsoft said that ‘you will be able to play music in the background’ – So, let’s assume it is highly limited. But there’s nothing that third party plugins can’t do either.
9. iPhone users complain about lack of Flash on the iPhone OS. What about on WP7?
Unlikely. But Mr Ballmer has got a good repo with Adobe if you know your history
10. When is it coming?
Holiday season 2010? Yes, long way to go!
