Rob Thompson

I’ve been testing Windows Phone 7.   Specifically, its compatibility with Zimbra.   I am very impressed.   I have to admit that I am an entrenched critic of Microsoft, and was recently reminded by a colleague why this is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend_and_extinguish.  Regardless of this, M$ has done a great job in implementing a mobile platform that works almost flawlessly with Zimbra and implements a standards-compliant version of ActiveSync.  Given that ActiveSync is a Microsoft product, and that their phone talks this protocol talks flawlessly with any ActiveSync service, should not be a surprise to me, but it is a wonderful feat of engineering that few beyond Microsoft have been able to perfect.

I have to say that I am strangely drawn toward the platform in its simplicity and basic function.  I miss the days of the non-graphical Blackberry OS with the text-based email and calendaring functions.  The Windows 7 platform reminds me of this basic and flawless function.  Android and iPhone seem to be riddled with a buggy glitz that is absent in the nearly perfectly executed Windows Phone 7 OS.   Also impressive is that the OS provides great integration with services such as Facebook, and provides great mash-ups with your contacts too.

What I can’t deal with is the lack of popular apps.  I am a hopelessly involved in the “app” culture of the iPhone and Android markets, and can’t give that up.  However, if you’re a person who only cares about their contacts and email, and primarily use an ActiveSync server such as Exchange or Zimbra, I couldn’t recommend a better OS than Windows Phone 7.  Hopefully, we don’t see the “extinguish” phase come too soon =).