At MIX 10 event ended last week, Microsoft has released and showcased many features and information about the upcoming Windows Phone 7 Series smartphone that many think Microsoft can’t come up with. You have seen how cool and pretty iPhone or Android smart phone are, but Windows Phone 7 series is on par if not better on certain things.

With so much great stuff and 3 smartphone prototypes in display, it almost made me think that this phone is almost ready for mass production in 4-5 months. Yes, I wish it to come sooner, but that’s not just going to happen soon. It has has long way to go before this phone hit the street scheduled end of this year.

What is Windows Phone 7 anyway? That’s one ‘tough’ question. Lucky us, that Engadget has created Windows Phone 7 Series complete guide, sort of post that you’d love to read if you eager to knows more about this phone, like I do.  It’s rather long and ‘living’ post, meaning that it will get updated as the new things coming in.

I’ve been reading it couple of times (warning : lots of technical jargon), but you know, it’s kinda hard to summarize it on one short post. And plus the source from other articles that I read before, I’m quite lucky to come out with my own version of “idiot guide to Windows Phone 7 Series” . Don’t take this as definitive guide though, sometime, the longer the better.

It’s just piece of my understanding about this great phone, that you can refer to, in case interviewer at any job interview or some cute babes asking you, do you know what is “Windows Phone 7 Series”

• Windows 7 Phone is not the continuation of Windows Mobile. It’s totally brand new platform similar to Zune HD (that we don’t have it here).  It will have all modern smartphone common features and function, such as huge screen with multitouch, deep integration with social networking, closely interact with cloud apps, apps as valued added for the phone, focus on rich and multimedia content and etc. Hardware and software will be closely integrated so the smartphone can run on it utmost performance.
• No UI (user interface) customization allowed on Windows Phone 7 Series. So forget the likes of HTC Sense. All phones will have similar looks and feels regardless of the phone manufacturers.
• No copy and paste feature as confirmed by Microsoft , although another article pointing out the feature will be available as upgrade once the phone release to the market
• Brand new Windows Phone Marketplace - Haven’t seen or use the old one, but reading the review, that it is going to be good one.
• Windows Phone Marketplace is also going to be the only source of application for Windows Phone 7 Series, sort of Apple iTunes. However, Microsoft do provide an exception to large enterprise who want to deployed their own application directly to the device, the detail will be unveiled later.
• No Multitasking - No actual multitasking in the sense that you familiar with. Built-in apps can run on background, but not third party apps. But this third party apps that cannot run on background is not totally killed, should called it “half backgrounded”.
• Games is one of the key feature in Windows Phone 7 Series, so it is expexted that Microsoft will bring XBox 360 games into this phone. The games can be played on cross platform device ranging from phone, PC and Xbox. For instance, if you stop the games at one point at phone, you can resume the games at the same point in XBox. Cool huh? The development for cross platform games also has been simplified with introduction of XNA Studio 5.
• Microsoft alone won’t made Windows Phone 7 Series your sexy next phone. So there comes the partners with their app ready to be ported to this phone.