@HomesIckAlien

L800 is MS-oriented, but not locked in the MS ecosystem. It integrates well with other stuff, like Google's mail, contacts and calendar, also imports and exports to standard, honest-to-God CVS and the like via the cross-platform web interface.

It is oriented, VERY oriented to MS, but the Zune software only manages videos and music (and podcasts), nothing phone-like. In fact, you can go ahead and skip Zune altogether. I did. In fact, I recommend it. Zune software is for Zune.

Bright side, you're free of Nokia PC Suite/ Nokia Ovi Suite/ Nokia Suite/Ovi/Ovi Store/dead OVI files. See? Less is more when it comes to Nokia software.

A rare point of view around these parts. I did get the L800, and it's a beautiful phone, with many innovations compared to other OSs, good integration, easy setup and a butter-smooth UI.

Now, whether or not colored squares are your thing that's another story, and so is the fact that WP7 is still young.

I really, really wanted to review the L800 against N9 and the latest Symbian/iOS/Android have to offer, but frankly, fewer and fewer people care - today's phones are in a race the likes of which has never been seen before, both in hardware and software and TMO is mainly an N900 user forum.

So I'm not going to. I'll say this, though: It's a lovely device, something that Nokia can actually be proud of, a device that can actually measure up to the usual yardstick, the sour grapes, the iStuff.

I know some people here cling to the last few straws, but the fact remains that Nokia can't code. Never has Nokia done a phone that had excellent software. Never have I had a phone with a Nokia brand that didn't have software bugs, problems, late or missing updates.

They just stink.

OTOH, I never had a Nokia that dropped calls. It's high time they used their decades of experience in building phones to -finally- build phones and let a software company do the software. iOS was never going to come, Android has its problems. Mainly, that lately all it does is copy over the shoulder of Apple.

Wp7 is a fresh look on things, a new UI, with hubs, live tiles, is freakishly fast, and doesn't seem to hold a grudge that you have accounts on other sites. It comes with 25G of online storage, complete with immediate and automatic uploading of media as it comes along, another 5 as sync scratch space, web-based assists for on-phone data (yes, Google did that before).

People seem to have a horrified look on their face when they find out it keeps data at Microsoft or that it uses Bing, making the phone dependent on some MS services. And I don't understand. I need online services, I need mail and search, I want them. And frankly, who would you rather depend on, Nokia? Besides, you still have Box client if you are so inclined.

I want problems fixed, I want file storage, I want speed and smoothness, and I'm tired of looking at a hung "wait" animation. Nokia can't give me any of those.

I may be old. I can't stand that 18 year old that rings me from Nokia when I say their Store doesn't work to tell me that it does (what do I know?). The only time I want to see Nokia's door is when I have a hardware problem. They're good with that. I'm tired of waiting for monolithic updates with undisclosed dates. I'm tired of hopping platforms to get what I want.

I want a phone that is build with experience, well balanced, reliable and a bit of class. The Galaxy Nexus looks like it's flat luggage. Yes, yes, function over form and all that. Why can't I have both? MUST it be ugly?

I want software that is not iOS, nor a copy of iOS. I don't like the central button, I don't like the round icons in a grid, it's been here 20 years, I don't like the bar at the bottom that shows running tasks (that don't really run), and I don't like the "free" desktop thing that wants so desperately to give the impression of space that it uses the smallest discernible icons, the smallest possible text and writing that is set against a desktop one can barely see due to lack of contrast. Desktops work well on desktop computers, with precise mice and 27 inches of HD goodness. On a small screen, you need high contrast, big buttons and decent text with a uniform background.

I want a Nokia built phone, with an OS that isn't boasting an i at the beginning (real or fake), with a fresh view on things and that doesn't keep me waiting.

I guess I want a Lumia 800.

And yes, I heard the criticism. Some true, some not. No front facing camera. A lot of good that did on N900. Oh well, some people do use it. Fair enough. It's the fanboism I could live without. N9 (and, by extension, Lumia 800) lost 9-1 in a comparison with iPhone 4S. Power of marketing, I suppose.

Wikipedia sums it up nicely: This is what's wrong with the (PC) world today. Dear PCWorld: iPhone 4S does not have anything extraordinary to offer when compared to the current top smartphones like the iPhone 4S and Galaxy Nexus. iPhone 4S not the thinnest or fastest of phone, nor has it the best camera or extra features (no expandable storage, no HDMI, no NFC).

See?

This is not how devices work. This is not a length contest, and having one longer member does not make anyone superior, especially if attached to an idiot. Stop comparing lengths. Size matters only when all other things are equal or similar. You could have a freight train if you are a small, bald, fat, shriveled old man who doesn't shower (and owns an iPhone - stab!).

So people. I own one, I fiddled with it, turned everything on, and off, logged on and off, linked it to accounts, PCs, everything but drop it. I also have 3 N9s, and I would get a lot more thanks and approval if I said that was the greatest.

If it is in your price range, go to a shop, fiddle with it. You can read reviews 'till the cows come home, it won't help until you see the screen, push the buttons, get a feel. It's an entirely new experience, an animated, high contrast, simple and robust UI, behind a nice piece of glass. Youtube doesn't count. You can't observe a 60 FPS UI through a 15 FPS movie, nor an 800x480 pixel AMOLED over a 300x400 overcompressed MPEG on an old LCD monitor.

I'm saying see it. It will not be wasted time.