7 Awful Things About Windows Phone 7

For every wonderful trick and treat Microsoft presents in Windows Phone 7, there were plenty of functions absent that iOS and Android have made names for themselves doing. Once compared, it's obvious WP7 is not finished, Considering how advanced Windows Phone 7's competition is, the following seven deficiencies make a mockery of Microsoft chairman Steve Ballmer's claim of Windows Phone 7 being "thoroughly modern."

1. No Flash
This one's a stunner, but Ballmer has reportedly been talking with Adobe so WP7's lack of Flash may only be temporary.

2. No multitasking
Another stunner. Once Android showed how multitasking could be done on a mobile phone, even Apple was forced to play catch-up. For Microsoft to unveil a new, "modern" OS and not include multitasking is puzzling to say the least.

3. No Unified Email
The whole idea behind Microsoft's hub-based gestalt is to focus on activities rather than sterile apps. But "email" isn't included under "messaging," and there are separate apps for Outlook, Hotmail, Gmail and every other email source. This does't meet Microsoft's "fewer clicks" design goals and could prove to be frustrating to users.

4. No Cut-And-Paste
We know this is only temporary — the last item mentioned at the Windows Phone announcement was that cut-and-paste would be part of a software upgrade early next year. But like all of Windows Phone 7's other missing tidbits, not including this basic capability, which caused iPhone users to loudly howl, makes it seem Windows Phone 7 was rushed to market before it was ready.

5. Where Are the Apps?
Several high-profile apps such as eBay, IMDb, and Sims 5 were showcased at the Windows Phone 7 unveiling, but the only other mention of apps was vague generalities — hundreds of thousands of developers downloading the SDK and thousands of apps expected. When and how many? Excellent question.

6. No Desktop Client
I've said it before and I'll say it again: without a desktop client, the mainstream phone-using consumers Microsoft hopes to convert will become frustrated if they don't have an easy of way of loading music, videos, photos, etc., onto their handsets.

7. It's Three Years Too Late
Windows Phone 7 is in about the same shape Apple's iPhone OS was in 2007. Individually, no single one of these missing capabilities is a problem. But reviewers are likely to take Microsoft to task for missing so many of them, leading to negative comparisons with iPhone and Android Microsoft can barely afford.
Of course, this isn't the complete picture. For another take, check out our list of 7 great things about Windows Phone 7.

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