[Windows Phone 7 General] N8ter:
If WM6.5 had WP7's UI and better performance, there would be no need for WP7.

So yes, they should have done some significant revamps to WM instead of stringing users along for what seems like it will be over a year (since Mango is said to be yet another patch aimed at gamers and the like) to become an all-around usable system.

Emphasis on all-around, becaue not eveyone likes to carry around two devices.

Windows Phone 7 doesn't lack basic features. It lacks in both basic and advanced features, and both Consumer and Business-sector features. In fact, it's a slap in the face to business users because hardly anyone wants to make WM6.5 devices with Microsoft basically abandoning that platform, no one wants to develop for it. Apps are falling out of date and starting to not work, Updates are still a big fail on WM6.5. They've all but surrendered to RIM and others in the business sector, and they will never catch up - at least not to RIM...

You think terrible Exchange Policy Support in an OS designed and developed by the company that made Exchange is the lack of a "basic feature." That makes WP7 [literally] useless on any network handled by a competent administrator.

Lack of support for hidden SSIDs? See above.

Landscape keyboard looking like a slightly widened Portrait Keyboard is an annoyance, that is somewhat major for me since I cannot touch type on a portrait keyboard that is smaller on a 4.3" screen than an Android portrait is on a a 3.7" screen. Additionally, Lack of Portrait support in many areas of the OS is NOT a basic feature.

Seemingly lack of design in some areas of the OS like the Calendar App, etc. is an annoyance, and maybe basic to some (looks more like a DOS ASCII GUI than a WP7 app to me, though).

Lack of a First-Party WLM/Lync/OCS Client on release?

There are many great things about the OS, but there are almost as many shortfalls to keep people from getting it.

If Microsoft went to Nexus route and released a good phone with decent internals, then I suppose I would have thought more about it.

But for business use. I'm going to RIM. I've already ordered a Blackberry Curve 3G and plan to upgrade to the Storm 3 when it releases later this year.

I'm starting to care less and less about fluff, useless UI arguments, and hardware. I need functionality and reliability.

I do like how the notifications pop up on top of the screen. I wish Android did that instead of just doing a ticker in the notification bar.

I like the Tiles and especially the Live Tiles.

I am starting to see why so many people find the transitions annoying. They are nice the first day or so but after you use thephone a bit they start wasting an insane amount of your time. The HTC Hub animation is ridiculous - the worst offender, IMO, but the OS is riddled with time/productivity wasting transitions. They need an option to disable that stuff.

IE is pretty nice, but the address bar at the top waste screen real estate and there's an annoying transition going from landscape to portrait and back. Also, I dont' think there's a landscape keyboard in IE, which is not acceptable.

The SMS app is nice. I like the squared off bubbles. Looks better than the Stock Samsung SMS app in my Galaxy S. I think Zune is great (I am a Zune Pass subscriber, so I'm a bit biased anyways :P) and the media player is nice.

Office Hub and Email client is a bit nice. The Email client is probably a bit minimalistic, but I kind of like it.

The issue isn't about what your like or hate. It's about balancing the benefits and deficits and coming down to a decision of what will work best.

My conclusion what that WP7 is unfit for business use (inb4 "Microsoft said it was for consumers!!1!") and a Blackberry Curve smartphone blows it away.

There's more to making a decent smartphone OS than looking good. Not everyone is Apple or an uber-religious Apple product user.