By Preston Gralla

By: Chloe Albanesius

The Windows Phone 7 Marketplace now has more than 5,000 apps, according toWP7applist.

As of Wednesday morning, the site was tracking 5,099 apps in the marketplace. About 28 percent of them were free apps; the average price was $2.31. WP7applist found that 113 apps were updated every day, on average. In the last 24 hours, Microsoftadded 85 apps and 135 apps were updated.

 By -  Devindra Hardawar

 By Saad Fazil

Microsoft is on a roll: Its newly launched Windows Phone 7 isgaining momentum, and Kinect, its motion controller response to the Wii, is rumored to have sold out (although whether that rumor is true is another matter). If there was ever a time for Microsoft to get back on its feet and stand shoulder to shoulder with Apple and Google, this would be it.

This positive buzz comes at a time when Microsoft sorely needs it. Microsoft’s major source of power and revenue –  the Windows operating system –  is under an unprecedented threat on several fronts. First, as mobile phones become smarter, the Windows franchise will lose its dominance unless Microsoft can find a way to compete with Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android. Second, as operating systems find their way into other connected devices such as Internet TV, Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS are getting all the buzz. Third, as the Internet becomes speedier and demand for cloud-based storage increases, web apps will become even more popular, making the Windows operating system even less relevant.

So what’s Microsoft doing to regain footing on these three fronts?

Mobile
Despite arriving late to the party, Windows Phone 7 has received strong reviews so far, and while there are a few glaring omissions (such as the missing copy/paste function), on the whole it is a great leap forward from the antiquated Windows Mobile platform.

It’s too early to tell whether Windows Phone 7 can catch up in a market dominated by iOS and Android, but it has some clear advantages. Tighter integration with Microsoft Office, still the most dominant productivity suite, is one of them. Gaming is another.

Microsoft chief says his rival's open source OS may carry hidden patent liabilities.

By Paul McDougall 
InformationWeek 
October 5, 2010 09:34 AM 

One of the most commonly cited problems facing Windows Phone 7 is that it’s a paid mobile operating system competing with Android, a free and proven alternative. Microsoft absolutely must make Windows Phone 7 a success if it wants to stay relevant in the growing mobile sector, but how do you compete with free?

According to Microsoft, there’s actually a lot of good advantages to pay for Windows Phone 7, though… and it all comes down to transparency.

Today at gamescom 2010, the world’s largest consumer-oriented games showcase, Microsoft Corp. premiered the first wave of Xbox LIVE games launching on Windows Phone 7 this holiday. With even more games and applications to come, Windows Phone 7 is putting the power of Xbox LIVE into the palm of your hand — from Xbox LIVE Avatars to staying connected with friends, Xbox LIVE is now at your fingertips, anytime, anywhere.^*

Months before the launch of Windows Phone 7, Microsoft is offering a glimpse of a mobile gaming experience that aims to stand apart.

Today at Gamescom 2010, the world’s largest gaming conference underway in Cologne, Germany, Microsoft announced the first wave of video games that will be available for Windows Phone 7 at launch or shortly after. The first 50 titles – a mix of new and familiar games that target both the casual and hardcore gamer – are just a sampling of what will ship this holiday, said Kevin Unangst, senior director of PC and mobile gaming. But the list conveys the wide range of video games that will be available on Windows Phone 7.

As Microsoft approaches its fall Windows Phone 7 launch, its evangelists are working overtime to try to build momentum for the platform. Microsoft officials are announcing on August 23 that there have been 300,000-plus downloads of the beta of the Windows Phone 7 developer tools to date. They said the final version of the tools will be out September 16, but stressed that those interested in writing games and applications using the XNA Framework and Silverlight don’t need to wait for the final.

Microsoft has big plans for its upcoming Windows Phone 7, and it’s focusing much of that effort on mobile advertising. Microsoft announced it will move Paul Lyonette, head of emerging platforms at Microsoft Advertising, to oversee the expansion of its mobile sales division and boost the headcount of its European mobile ad sales team.

Microsoft unveiled the first wave of games for the Windows 7 smartphone operating system on Tuesday at the GamesCom 2010 conference in Cologne, Germany.

You don't need us to tell you that apps have grown to become a core part of modern smartphone ecosystems. Android and iOS, the two major app-centric OS environments are growing in leaps and bounds, while a substantial part of Windows Phone 7's eventual success is expected to hinge on exactly how it matches (or betters) those guys on the app front

As we approach the expected release of Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 operating system for smartphones, we still know relatively little about the devices that will be running it. A new video gives us a glimpse of the upcoming Windows Phone 7 device from HTC.

Todd Bishop on Wednesday, July 21, 2010, 3:52pm PDT

Looks like the iPhone era is over at Microsoft.

OK, probably not entirely, but the company's decision to give every employee a new Windows Phone 7 device -- announced this afternoon at its big sales meetup in Atlanta, according to tweets from employees -- should at least reduce the odds that any of them trying to take Steve Ballmer's picture with an Apple device.

A Microsoft spokesman confirmed the news, saying that the specific devices will vary by market. And yes, they will be actual Windows Phone 7 devices -- this is not Microsoft's attempt to get rid of its surplus Kins.

The announcement was made by Andy Lees, head of Microsoft's mobile business, in an email to employees. The idea is to thank employees for all their work, and make sure that they have experience with Windows Phone 7 devices, the spokesman said.

It's been a long road, hasn't it? Well, in some respects, it hasn't -- in fact, it's only been about two years since development of Windows Phone 7 as we know it today kicked off -- but when you consider that this product will be replacing Windows Mobile 6.5, that puts things in proper perspective. In fact, even the very latest maintenance releases of good ol' WinMo are based on the same rickety underpinnings as version 5.0 was way back in 2005, at a time when WVGA smartphone displays were science fiction, 4G networks were a good two Gs beyond the average American's comprehension, and Engadget looked like this. Nowadays, it's a very different game; eight year-olds have access to mobile email, your phone understands German, and "Yelp" is a verb (okay, actually Yelp is a verb). Indeed, mobile devices are the new PCs -- and companies like Apple and Google are dominating an industry that had once been practically handed to Microsoft on a silver platter. No one -- either inside or outside of Redmond -- is arguing that change isn't desperately (and quickly) needed, because it simply isn't enough to dominate the desktop anymore.

In light of all that, you could call Windows Phone 7 a desperation move to become relevant in the pocket again.