Microsoft’s Mix10 conference confirms many crucial things about the company’s agenda: it is turning into Apple but is late to the game. Droves of smartphone zealots are excited about Windows Phone 7’s prospects, yet much of what Microsoft is doing already exists, and worst of all, quite a few of the complaints about Apple’s iPhone will not be addressed by WP7.

- Multitasking? No.
- Copy and Paste? NO! Even though Windows Mobile had it.
- Lower prices? No. Based on WP7’s steep minimum spec requirements, do not expect low prices.
- Flash? Yes, but when? Microsoft is offering Adobe all the tools, but when will a viable version of 10.1 be available for WP7? Possibly not at launch.
- ANYTHING new? Sort of, Xbox gaming integration and Netflix streaming via Silverlight will be exclusives for now.

Windows Phone 7 devices will not have multitasking, will be just as closed as Apple’s App Store, will be about the same price, and might not have Flash for awhile. The interface will be borrowed from Microsoft’s multimedia player, the Zune HD. Apple has been doing this with the iPod Touch and iPhone for years.

One possible upside to WP7 is serious gaming. Although the iPhone has a large collection of games, few of them are terribly enticing. Because WP7 uses Direct X9, Xbox ports and cross-platform development should be quite doable.

On the hardware front, Microsoft’s stern guidelines likely force manufacturers to raise prices, but consumers will receive no worse than 5 megapixel or better cameras with flash, 8Gb memory, etc.

So in summation, WP7 promises Xbox goodies, Netflix, powerful hardware, and everything else that Apple has had for years, including many of the iPhone’s problems.

Keep in mind that by the time that a WP7 device is sold, Apple will probably be showing new iPhones –then it will be time for Microsoft to play catch-up yet again.