For the last month and a half I’ve been playing around with my new Windows Phone 7. Needless to say, I really like it. There are a few things that are still a little rough – side-loading application is a good example, but overall I’m really impressed with this platform. It may be version 7 technically, but realistically its a v1 product. I say that in a good way though – Microsoft reinvented the product.
Part of this reinvention is a cloud-oriented platform. Today’s Dilbert cartoon was a perfect tongue-in-cheek explanation of the evolution of computing, and the mobile market makes no exception. Actually, when you think about it, mobile phones and the cloud go together like peanut butter and chocolate. If you have to ask, they go together really well. Also, if you have to ask, are you living under a rock?
This whole cloud/phone comingling is central to the Windows Phone 7, and you can realize the potential immediately.
When you start syncing your phone via the Zune software, you will eventually get to the sync page for the phone. The first thing I noticed was the link “do more with windows live”.
What does that do?
Well, once you have set up your phone with your Live ID, a new application is added to your Windows Live home. This app is for all devices, and when you click on the above link in Zune, it will take you to the section for the particular phone you are syncing.
The first thing that caught my attention was the “Find my Phone” feature. It brings up a list of actions for when you have lost your phone.
Each action is progressively bolder than the previous – and each action is very straightforward.
Map it
If the device is on, use the Location services on the phone to find it and display on a Bing Map.
Ring it
If you have a basic idea of where the phone is and the phone is on, ringing it will make the phone ring with a distinct tone even if you have it set to silent or vibrate. Use this wisely. 
Lock it
Now it gets a little more complicated. When you lock the phone you are given an option to provide a message on the lock screen:
If someone comes across your phone, you can set a message telling them what they can do with it. Word of advice though: if you leave a phone number, don’t leave your mobile number. 
Erase it
Finally we have the last option. The nuclear option if you will. Once you set the phone to be erased, the next time the phone is turned on and tries to connect to the Live Network, the phone will be wiped and set to factory defaults.
A side effect of wiping your phone is that the next time you set it up and sync with the same Live ID, most settings will remain intact. You will have to add your email and Facebook accounts, and set all the device settings, but once you sync with Zune, all of your apps will be reinstalled. Now that is a useful little feature.
Finally
Overall I’m really happy with how the phone turned out. It’s a strong platform and it’s growing quickly. The Find my Phone feature is a relatively small thing, but it showcases the potential of a phone/cloud mash up and adds so much value to consumers for when the lose their phone.
In a previous post I talked about the security of the Windows Phone 7. This post was all about how consumers can quickly mitigate any risks from losing their phone. For more information on using this phone in the enterprise, check out the Windows Phone 7 Guides for IT Professionals.