Microsoft has done a good job with the Web browser, which I found generally comparable in speed and features to the iPhone and Android browsers. But unlike on some new Android phones, it doesn't support Adobe Flash content.

The built-in Office suite is very nice. It can link to Microsoft's SharePoint corporate online documentsystem. One of its apps, OneNote, also synced in my tests with Microsoft's consumer-focused SkyDrive Web file-storage system. It has a nice feature that makes it easy to jump to sections of long documents, allows for making comments on files, and lets you see presentations broadcast over the Internet.

However, this new mobile Office failed to open a simple Word document I tried. Microsoft says this plain document had some hiddencorruption, but it opened on an iPhone and Android, and was editable in their Quickoffice app. Microsoft says it is working on a fix.

Music, video and photos all worked well, and you can use a Zune subscription on the phone. I was easily able to sync media files with a Windows PC using a new version of the Zune software, and I also tried a pre-release version of the new Macintosh Zune software, which is more limited, but also worked properly.

The Microsoft app store, called Marketplace, worked fine, and has a nice try-before-you-buy feature for some apps.

Last but not least is the Xbox Live hub, the center for gaming. It contains games from Microsoft and other developers, and includes your avatar from the Xbox Live service. You can socialize with, and play against, others on the service. For Xbox Live fans, this is mobile heaven.

Overall, I can't recommend Windows Phone 7 as being on a par with iPhone or Android -- at least not yet. Unless you're an Xbox Live user, or rely on Microsoft's SharePoint corporate Web-based documentsystem, it isn't as good or as versatile as its rivals.

Walter S. Mossberg

• slender [´slendə] a.细长的；微薄的 (初中英语单词)


• adequate [´ædikwit] a.足够的；适当的 (初中英语单词)


• system [´sistəm] n.系统，体系，制度 (初中英语单词)


• physical [´fizikəl] a.物质的；有形的 (初中英语单词)


• conclusion [kən´klu:ʒən] n.结束；结论；推论 (初中英语单词)


• wilderness [´wildənis] n.荒地，荒野 (初中英语单词)


• attractive [ə´træktiv] a.有吸引力；诱人的 (初中英语单词)


• occasional [ə´keiʒənəl] a.偶然的；临时的 (初中英语单词)


• entertainment [,entə´teinmənt] n.招(款)待；联欢会 (初中英语单词)


• despite [di´spait] prep.尽管 (初中英语单词)


• missing [´misiŋ] a.缺掉的；失踪的 (初中英语单词)


• ability [ə´biliti] n.(办事)能力；才干 (初中英语单词)


• available [ə´veiləbəl] a.可用的；有效的 (初中英语单词)


• platform [´plætfɔ:m] n.(平)台；讲台；站台 (初中英语单词)


• addition [ə´diʃən] n.加；加法；附加物 (初中英语单词)


• unlike [,ʌn´laik] a.不同的 prep.不象… (初中英语单词)


• prominent [´prɔminənt] a.突起的；凸出的 (初中英语单词)


• estate [i´steit] n.财产；庄园；等级 (初中英语单词)


• screen [skri:n] n.银幕 vt.遮蔽 (初中英语单词)


• connection [kə´nekʃən] n.联系；关系；联运 (初中英语单词)


• device [di´vais] n.装置；器具；策略 (初中英语单词)


• contact [´kɔntækt] n.接触；联系 v.联络 (初中英语单词)


• mostly [´məustli] ad.主要地；多半；通常 (初中英语单词)


• complicated [´kɔmplikeitid] a.结构复杂的；难懂的 (初中英语单词)


• working [´wə:kiŋ] a.工人的；劳动的 (初中英语单词)


• combine [kəm´bain] v.(使)结合；联合企业 (初中英语单词)


• instance [´instəns] n.例子，实例，例证 (初中英语单词)


• player [´pleiə] n.游戏的人；选手 (初中英语单词)


• combination [,kɔmbi´neiʃən] n.结合；联合；团体 (初中英语单词)


• opening [´əupəniŋ] n.开放；开端 a.开始的 (初中英语单词)


• program [´prəugræm] n.说明v.为…安排节目 (初中英语单词)


• variety [və´raiəti] n.变化；多样(性)；种类 (初中英语单词)


• hidden [´hid(ə)n] hide 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• recommend [,rekə´mend] vt.推荐；使受欢迎 (初中英语单词)


• initial [i´niʃəl] a.最初的 n.首字母 (高中英语单词)


• decent [´di:sənt] a.体面的，正派的 (高中英语单词)


• launch [lɔ:ntʃ] vt.发动 n.发射；汽艇 (高中英语单词)


• navigation [,nævi´geiʃən] n.航行；航空；导航 (高中英语单词)


• calendar [´kælində] n.日历；月历；历法 (高中英语单词)


• inferior [in´fiəriə] n.下级的 n.下级；晚辈 (高中英语单词)


• related [ri´leitid] a.叙述的；有联系的 (高中英语单词)


• elegant [´eligənt] a.文雅的；优美的 (高中英语单词)


• seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)


• document [´dɔkjumənt] n.公文；文件；证件 (高中英语单词)


• broadcast [´brɔ:dkɑ:st] v.&n.散布 a.广播的 (高中英语单词)


• limited [´limitid] a.有限(制)的 (高中英语单词)


• hardware [´hɑ:dweə] n.五金器皿 (英语四级单词)


• competitive [kəm´petitiv] a.竞争的，比赛的 (英语四级单词)


• definition [,defi´niʃən] n.限定；定义；明确 (英语四级单词)


• envious [´enviəs] a.妒忌的，羡慕的 (英语四级单词)


• vertical [´və:tikəl] a.垂直的 n.垂直线 (英语四级单词)


• traditional [trə´diʃənəl] a.传统的，习惯的 (英语四级单词)


• automatically [ɔ:tə´mætikli] ad.自动地；无意识地 (英语四级单词)


• status [´steitəs] n.身份；情形；状况 (英语四级单词)


• horizontal [,hɔri´zɔntl] a.水平的，横的 (英语四级单词)


• comparable [´kɔmpərəbəl] a.可比较的；类似的 (英语四级单词)


• corruption [kə´rʌpʃən] n.腐化；贪污；贿赂 (英语四级单词)


• subscription [səb´skripʃən] n.预订；预约；捐款 (英语四级单词)


• version [´və:ʃən, ´və:rʒən] n.翻译；说明；译本 (英语四级单词)


• calling [´kɔ:liŋ] n.点名；职业；欲望 (英语六级单词)


• category [´kætigəri] n.种类；部属；范畴 (英语六级单词)


• innovation [,inə´veiʃən] n.改革；革新；创新 (英语六级单词)


• scroll [skrəul] n.卷轴；纸卷 (英语六级单词)