I've just returned from the Microsoft MVP Summit in Redmond, WA. I've seen Windows Mobile 7, I've heard from executives, and I've heard from the brilliant Mobile Device MVPs that lend their suggestions and insight to open ears on the other side of the room. At first glance, I contend that Windows Mobile 7 has an immense flaw that may threaten the platform in a big way, but at a second look, it may have a huge saving grace. Read on for more.

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My mission in going to this summit was to figure out if Microsoft actually HAS a strategy in the mobile device space, to Chuong's point. If you're reading these words, you're probably a user of Windows Mobile. You enjoy its power in multitasking, its fantastic Exchange support, its flexibility in loading third party apps, and the variety of form factors that you have to choose from. You're also probably getting a little pissed off. Your device may or may not have the latest ROM (depending on your OEM/carrier), you may be getting tired of having to reboot your phone, you're annoyed by the horrendous web page rendering of Pocket Internet Explorer, and you're bored by the user experience. You wonder why you have to make so many sacrifices. Your friend has an iPhone, and he's having a blast. Your girlfriend has a Blackberry, and she loves the messaging experience.

Microsoft knows. They know, they know, they know. They know about all of the falters and problems with Windows Mobile from the feedback they hear from all of you guys, from the MVPs, and from the blogs. It was a funny scene in some of the sessions at the MVP summit %u2013 the MVPs unleashed a litany of criticism and complaints about the platform, and the person leading the session was patient in hearing them out. The degree to which they actually implement our suggestions is another matter of discussion.

Ok, I alluded to an immense flaw regarding 7. Here it is. Let's assume that the leaked screenshots of Windows Mobile 7 were the real deal. I'm not saying if they were or weren't (since I'm under NDA), but let's assume they were. It looks good, I'm sure you'll agree. The UI is much improved with better consistency and more eye candy, there are some much-needed usability enhancements, and so on. As icing on the cake, think of your biggest complaint with Windows Mobile 5.0 or 6...it's likely that in Windows Mobile 7, it's been fixed.

Here's the problem. If Windows Mobile 7 was released tomorrow, the community would rejoice and even iPhone users would turn their heads to see what's happened at the Microsoft camp. But Windows Mobile 7 is not being released tomorrow. They never gave us a release date to us at the summit (and even if they did, I couldn't disclose that), but by the way they were talking about it, coupled with the rumors that are out on the net, it's going to be a while. The target seems to be sometime in 2009, but we all know that when Microsoft aims for date X, the product doesn't get out of the door until date X Y. With that formula, take midyear 2009, that's June, and add a few months. That brings us to the September 2009 time frame.

Timing, noble readers, is the immense flaw that may threaten this platform in a big way. It may be too little too late. By the time 7 is released, Android, Blackberry, and OS X on the iPhone will have evolved beyond where they are today. They'll have features and functionality that we can't conceive of at this moment. And here comes lowly 7%u2026an OS that would have made a big splash in 2008, but in September 2009, it's yesterday's technology.

Then you ask: why can't 7 be ready much sooner? Don't they realize how important timing is in the mobile phone industry? That's a question I asked. The truth is, Microsoft can't go any faster, regardless of how much money they throw at the project. Getting a completely new version into the hands of consumers requires collaboration not only among the enormous Windows Mobile team, but with OEMs, carriers, chipset makers, and so on. The testing cycle is an eternity. The software testing can't be rushed. The hardware testing can't be rushed. It's the nature of the beast.

Alas, I promised you a saving grace to the 7 story. Speculation is abounding of the significance of the Danger acquisition plus the establishment of the Premium Mobile Experiences division. What they hell are they doing? Microsoft wouldn't tell us at the summit, so that leaves us to use our imagination. My best guess is that Microsoft will be leveraging the infrastructure of Danger (in their ability to design and create hardware) to create their own super-compelling hardware for Windows Mobile 7. Yes, folks, that would mean that we'd see a Microsoft branded Windows Mobile 7 phone sometime in the future. Why is this a saving grace? With direct control over the hardware experience, Microsoft can pump out devices that show off the capability of 7 to the maximum, with NO compromises. No laggyness, no plastic screen, just a Premium Mobile Experience, as the new division's name implies.