To view the original article, visit eWeek: Microsoft Releases Windows Phone Developer Tools Beta

Microsoft is releasing its Windows Phone Developer Tools Beta, as Day Three of the company's Worldwide Partner Conference begins here.

The tools are available from this site.

"The term 'beta' is understood to mean that things are close to finished," Brandon Watson, Microsoft's director of developer experience for Windows Phone 7, wrote in a July 12 posting on The Windows Phone Developer Blog. "It's time to get serious about building the actual apps and games for Windows Phone 7 that consumers will be looking for starting this holiday season."

Unlike the Apple iPhone or devices running Google Android, Windows Phone 7 does not follow the "pages of individual apps" model of user interface; instead, it aggregates Web content and applications into a set of subject-specific "Hubs," such as games. Coinciding with the blog posting, the July 13 keynotes at the WPC began focusing extensively on Windows Phone 7, which Microsoft views as a total reset of its smartphone franchise. 

"The phone is going through a massive inflection point," Andy Lees, senior vice president of Microsoft's Mobile Communications Business, told the audience gathered in the Verizon Center here, where the conference's keynotes are held. "There's immense competition but in many respects, things are just beginning."

Explaining the rationale behind Windows Phone 7's interface, Lees said: "The problem is that smartphones are just app launchers; they're a grid of icons. We figured there's got to be a better way than going app by app by app, so two years ago we fundamentally reset our strategy."

That strategy, he added, centers on three tenets: smart design, integrated experiences—i.e., the "Hubs"—and optimized ecosystem. While explaining the last one, Lees seemed to take a backhand swipe at Google Android, which runs on an increasing number of devices.

"One of the problems the phones are going through right now is fragmentation," Lees said. "For developers and ISVs, it makes it very difficult. We're making sure our software is fully optimized" to run with manufacturers' phone hardware, which itself is being limited by Microsoft to a streamlined three-button form factor.