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On Monday morning in New York Microsoft will unveil the first phones running its new Windows Phone 7 operating system. Handsets from HTC, LG and Samsung are expected to among those shown at the news conference, which is being held by Microsoft and AT&T.

Transcript

Microsoft to Show First Windows Phone 7 Handsets on Monday Martin Williams: They’re calling it a make or break product announcement on Monday morning in New York Microsoft unveiled the first phones running its new Windows Phone 7 operating system. Handsets from HTC, LG and Samsung are expected to be among those shown at the news conference which is being held by Microsoft and AT&T. We just found 7 is a major overhaul to its previous cellphone software and the attempt by the company to catch up with competitors like Apple research in motion and Google’s Android. Analyst say Microsoft success is important to its mobile initiatives as well as to the overall future of the entire company. Specifically analyst say that Microsoft must prove it has overcome the dismal performance of the current windows mobile OS and the failure of a youth focused kin phone that was launched in the spring of this year that killed just 2 months later. Windows phone 7 looks radically different from Microsoft’s previous phone operating systems. The home screen consist of live tiles dynamic icons that update automatically with information gathered from the internet to all the users behavior. 5 of the tiles lead to what Microsoft calls hubs. Many areas that collect together database around functions not applications. For example the people hub consolidates phone context, friends on facebook and windows live, email addresses and information about these people including their phone numbers mail addresses and social media status updates. Unveiling the operating system at this years mobile world Congress in February Steve Ballmer spoke of his hope for the new software. Steve Ballmer: I’m enthusiastic about the direction that we’re headed. To step, it’s a big step but together with top talent inside Microsoft and the best talent that we get a chance to work with in companies like orange and AT&T and others I think we really get a chance to have a major impact on the market. Nick: Monday’s unveiling of the first Windows 7 handsets will go some wait indicating whether that can happen. With reporting by Computer World’s Matt Hamlin, this is Martin Williams IDG News Service.