[braindoc]

Originally Posted by dprout69

Good positives... but correct me if Im wrong... all of which are hardware related upgrades (which could have been added with any new phone release) or could have been addressed by creation of an app?

I don't think so. I haven't tried a WP7 device yet but from reviews and impressions I've read, everyone comments on how quick and intuitive the UI is. This is the major reason why MS developed WP7. It was not an easy decision by MS to develop a completely new software, I'm sure everyone here remembers the leaked information of what Windows Mobile 7 was going to look like, so clearly MS was working towards trying to fix what was wrong with 6.X. It's also clear that the software engineers realized that the old windows mobile software kernel was incapable of running a modern touchscreen phone with quickness and stability and they had no choice but to start over. As a business decision, this made sense too. The windows mobile market share was small and shrinking rapidly, so why not develop a new system that has much more in common with the #1 smartphone, the iphone. Consumers prefer the iphone because its simple and it works. Developers like writing applications for the iphone because its standardized and they only have to write for one device, not dozens of devices, each with different screen sizes, processing power, resolutions, etc... as with windows mobile. I agree with AZTECHKA that a major advantage will be the availability of apps, WHICH WILL ALL WORK. Another advantage is that MS will be compelled to push out updates in order to catch up/keep up with Apple and Android - and because the devices are standardized and MS isn't allowing the carriers to muck up the software, the software updates will be provided my MS not the carrier.

Let's not forget that the reason why we modify our windows mobile phones so much is to make them easier to use and get them to do the things we want them to do. If the stock windows mobile platform were good, we wouldn't need to modify it as much as we do. Yes, I will miss the ability to change the UI and make my phone more personalized but I will gladly give that up to have a phone that is stable, fast, and just works (besides, I'll bet that the windows mobile moders will figure out how to crack WP7 and allow you to customize your phone and run old apps within a year).