First steps: Windows Phone 7

Last night I played around with a Windows Phone 7. The Windows Phone 7 devices are quite big, but the graphics that you will get are really beautiful.

Microsoft did a really nice job in interaction design. I was not able to find any Windows Mobile traces. Finally the new mobile OS is made for big fingers.

The home screen with tiles is innovative. Microsoft did not copy competitors, but picked their own intuitive way of user interaction.

Installation and configuration

After unboxing the phone started with a getting started screen. Following the steps allowed me to add my Windows Live account and other settings. Setting up the WiFi cause some Bing activity. I needed to find the MAC address for wireless security, but is was not exposed in the About.

There is a ‘maintenance mode’ that can be activated by dialing ##634# followed by *#1234# for diagnostics.  There are other inconveniences like this, that indicate a 1.0 version of the OS. I am sure that these inconveniences will be solved in the next release.

Marketplace

I linked to the Belgium Marketplace, because there was no Dutch Marketplace available. Changing the Marketplace is only possible through Zune software, just as software updates. I never had to install any software on my PC for my Android phone.

I installed Facebook, Twitter and a Impossible Shoota without any problems. Impossible Shoota is a addictive game though. Facebook and Twitter work as expected,

Windows Live

The integration with my Windows Live account is nice. Not all services are available by default. I cannot find my Windows Live Photo Album in Photo Sharing, while a lot of other photo services are. I guess that Microsoft will add these Windows Live services in the near future. That would really do the trick.

Verdict

Microsoft did a great job with this redesigned mobile OS. Windows Phone 7 GUI is beautiful, easy to operate and fast. I am sure that the ease of use will increase over time.

I am looking forward to v2 .

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