David Pogue, of the new York Times, has posted his perspective on the newest release of Microsoft’s phone OS, Windows Phone 7.5. He wastes no time discussing its newest features, as well as how Microsoft’s design philosophy is anything but a copy of the iPhone. Even with all the great new features and differentiators, I believe the following two sentences summarize Windows Phone the best:

Now, if this phone had arrived before the iPhone, people would have been sacrificing small animals to it.

But Microsoft’s three-year lag behind its rivals is going to be very tough to overcome.

I feel time is only one aspect working against Microsoft. Apple’s entry into the phone market forced the existing giants to change. No longer could they sit back and offer incremental updates. The iPhone became the new standard and everyone was playing catch-up. Whereas Android did its best to copy the better features of iPhone, Microsoft took a big risk and created something new. Even with the great Windows Phone experience, Microsoft is forced to battle a different beast: its damaged brand. Windows Mobile has left a bad taste in many mouths, and with Android and iPhone offereing experiences that are good enough, what incentive does Microsoft offer to bring users back?