Sure, Windows Phone 7 has a fast and fluid user experience, and maybe the best smartphone camera interface we've seen.
But does it have the kind of apps you buy the iPhone for? Not quite yet.
We haven't yet seen a killer app for Windows Phone 7 apart from the built-in OneNote with SkyDrive sync and it will be a while before we see GPS navigation apps (we know of at least one in development) but even in the first week there's plenty in the Marketplace beyond the obligatory flashlights and fart apps.
Here are the Windows Phone 7 apps we'd pay for.
1. Pictures Lab
Tilt-shift effects, crop and rotate... Pictures Lab combines the fun effects of an iPhone photo app like Hipstamatic with the useful fixes you're mostly likely to need (sharpen and - in the imminent update - crop) in a beautifully designed app that crosses the power of Silverlight with the tools of the Windows Phone 7 interface. Pick a photo, see all the possible effects as thumbnails or swipe up and down to try them one at a time.
2. Newsroom
If you live in RSS feeds, you may want both of these newsreaders for Windows Phone 7. Newsroom saves you time by grabbing full stories and pictures, even from truncated RSS feeds, and battery by compressing them first, so you can go from the headline to the full story far more quickly than clicking through to a browser window - but it doesn't handle Google Reader.
3. gReadie
gReadie - as you'd expect from the name - specifically handles Google Reader, and does a great job of keeping the details of what you've read elsewhere in Google Reader in sync so you only get new items (and ones you've starred). You can star posts to remember, send them to Instapaper and share them in plenty of ways - including Twitter.
4. DoodleDoodle
There are several drawing apps in the marketplace but this simple one is our favourite so far; pick a colour and a pen thickness and draw with your fingertip. Good for amusing kids, a quick game of hangman, drawing a map or a basic diagram.
5. Password Padlock
If you're trying to make your passwords more secure, they get more complicated and harder to remember. Microsoft doesn't let tools like this handy password utility integrate with the browser but it does encrypt all your passwords using AES and a master password of your choice (that's never stored on the phone, so write yourself a good hint); now you can safely get reminders when you need to log in.
6. Virtual Remote: Media Control
Connecting a remote to a PC in your living room usually means a tangle of wires and infrared repeaters; not the look you want. Run the companion PC software and Virtual Remote turns the phone you have in your pocket into a remote control with media buttons; it works with ITunes and several DVD software players as well as Windows Media Player and Windows Media Centre - it even has the green button to start Media Center.
7. Twozaic
Why pay for a Twitter client when there's Seesmic and the official client, both free? Because the cloud view that arranges user pics and excerpts around the screen is just such a nice way of reading tweets - although you get all the usual views like timelines as well.
8. PCconnector
The setup could be easier - and the instructions and interface could be a lot clearer, especially for setting up the client you have to run on your PC - but once you get it working you can connect to your PC from anywhere to download files or send them by email. Not everyone needs this but it's the kind of powerful app we weren't sure Windows Phone 7 would allow.
9. BluesBox
Who needs Guitar Hero? You can play your own blues solo (or any other style) on screen; pick a song to play along with from your music collection, pick bass or guitar and strut your stuff. This makes great use of the multitouch screen for chords and fast play.
10. XKCD
If you don't love XKCD… no, we don't think there's anyone who doesn't love this mix of philosophy and stick figures. The app does little more than start with the most recent comic and read backwards (you can also jump to a specific numbered strip); it doesn't even zoom because then you couldn't read the text. But it's XKCD!
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Your comments (7) Click to add a new comment
adef
March 20th 2011
7. ADefExpenseReport app
Michael Washington
webmaster@adefwebserver.com
https://adefexpensereport.com/Default.aspx
The adef expense report is a FREE Windows Phone 7 Expense Tracker application, combined with a FREE trial account on adefexpensereport website, allows you to email expense reports with pictures of all your receipts easily. ADefExpenseReport is a service for users of the free Windows Phone 7 ADefExpense Report Tracker application. The Windows Phone application is required to create reports.
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garyhalb
December 2nd 2010
6. Yea, and how about Soothr. It's a great ambiant noise generator. Similar to the Ambiance app on iPhone. Pretty cool.
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marybranscombe
October 26th 2010
5. @gergely - I do like Cocktail Flow for the delightful UI, and it was hard to pick these (I was quite impressed by what I saw of Handyscan) but in the end I plumped for apps that I thought would be more generally useful.
@everyone - this is our pick of the very first apps available; we're eagerly awaiting what comes along when developers have had more time to work on their apps.
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duskrider
October 25th 2010
4. As a tech and a tech enthusiast, you always hope that when something comes out it will be a game-changer and will raise the bar. When that does happen, we benefit as consumers.
I would think that MS, with their billions and with the brilliant minds that are on their payroll, could be the one that comes out with game changers. Something has happened under Ballmer's watch that has put MS in the position of playing catchup on almost every front. It must be internal politics or some such as the direction that most technology is taking is quite clear now, yet MS has no "gotta have it" products on the market. They are seriously in "Me too" mode and it's rather embarrassing to watch. I do hope they get back on their game right around when Apple has around 20% market share. That would be best for us and would bring some fantastic innovation from both camps in rapid-fire succession.
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duskrider
October 25th 2010
3. Meh... I was right, this will just be MS playing catchup, not breaking any new ground. Maybe the XBox integration will prove me wrong but probably not...
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chrisholton
October 25th 2010
2. nothing dazzling here! i'm glad i didnt wait for wp7 to come out before getting my new phone!
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gergelyorosz
October 25th 2010
1. I think this is a good selection of applications. Personally I'd also add Cocktail Flow (http://cocktailflow.com) - just because this application seemed to be the visually most attractive I've come across on WP7 (and probably other platforms as well).
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