Bringing it all together
Microsoft also has buy-in from most of the big operators, including Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone and O2/Telefonica. Microsoft also clearly expects WP7 to be used on a wide variety of different form factors - including mini notebooks - which we think will make the issue of full Windows not supporting the ARM instruction set irrelevant.
It addressed the main reason people want Windows support on ARM - Office apps - by devoting one of its five ‘hubs' to productivity, which seems to allow the use of most Office apps. "It's completely consistent with Office 2010," said Belfiore.
While WP7 remains a Powerpoint presentation for now, it's hard not to feel that Microaoft has managed to confound most people's expectations and deliver a game-changer here. Offerings from Apple, Google and possible Intel/Nokia will still remain worthy adversaries, but Microsoft has really given them something to think about.
By having the corporate humility to realise it had to start from scratch, by making its easier for end-users to access all their Microsoft stuff on a handheld device, and by securing the support of most of the major OEMs and operators - as well as the biggest chip-maker - Microsoft is now in a much stronger position in the mobile space than it was yesterday.
