Windows Mobile used to be a top player in the mobile world.’a0 Along with Nokia, Palm and Blackberry, Windows Mobile ruled the enterprise market with its built-in support for exchange messaging and ability to run Windows Mobile applications. Like some other former top brands, Windows Mobile (now called Windows Phone 7) lost steam and therefore have given up significant market share in recent years.

However, maybe a tide shift is coming.

In order to get some build excitement and gain early feedback on their new Windows Phone devices, Microsoft allowed a limited number of mobile phone press to trial the device.’a0 Recently, this corp of writers released their findings and the reviews were resoundingly positive!

These mobile influencers, from ZDNet’s Matt Miller to Wired Magazine to Cnet, liked many aspects of Windows Phone 7.’a0 In this version, the mobile OS was re-built from the ground up; shedding the legacy code and characteristics from Windows Mobile 6.5.

In 2009, Microsoft released a new version of the Zune player software with a complete user interface and user experience revamp.’a0 These successes have been carried over to Windows Phone 7.’a0 The reviewers noted the simplicity in the email application, and out-of-the-box social networking capabilities.’a0 Microsoft even built in support for Google applications such as Gmail and Google Talk.

Also, I spoke to a few Windows Phone employees at a recent event, and they had me convinced they’ve righted many wrongs that plagued Windows Mobile.’a0 For example, they are being very specific about hardware requirements for Windows Phone 7, meaning fragmentation should not be as much of an issue.’a0 Also, the user experience has been built to embrace the new social web that has erupted in recent past, rather than only supporting enterprise-only features such as Exchange and Microsoft applications.

From an initial perspective, it appears Windows Phone 7 hold some promise for those who are looking for an alternative to the current batch of iPhone and Android devices that smartphone buyers have to choose from.’a0 We will find out more as winter approaches and more information about the Windows Phone 7 product comes out.

Would you consider a Windows Phone 7 device, after reading these reviews?