Leaked Windows Phone 7 Architecture guide reveal more OS info

Tweakers.net has managed to lay their hands on a copy of the Microsoft Windows Phone 7 Architecture Guide and also a tutorial on compiling the OS, and have shared some more information about the upcoming OS.

They note that the device will be intimately linked with your Windows Live ID, and that on first bootup users will be asked to enter this and accept the EULA for the service.  Hardware will also be tied to a Genuine Windows Phone certificate, else the ID will not be accepted.

A Windows Live ID will be needed for contact synchronization, to access marketplace and to access Microsoft’s services.  In practice this means the device will be more or less useless without, but also that potentially each phone will be directly tied to one person, with may alarm privacy advocates somewhat.

More after the break.

The articles reveal more information which shows in some ways the specifications are quite forward-looking, for example each process will have access to up to 1 GB of RAM, but in others ways take little account of the future, for example lack of support for Bluetooth 3.

Microsoft will be keenly involved with devices, with even OEM ROM updates coming through Microsoft, with users notified to either download the updates over the air or tether their smartphones.  Unfortunately the OEM is still responsible for supplying the Direct3D drivers, which may alarm some readers.

Microsoft will also control the user experience, with OEMs having very limited ability to customize the device, beyond installing their own live tiles and changing the operator logo.  Devices may still come with OEM applications pre-installed, but to a maximum of 6, taking a total of 60 MB, and no trialware.

OEMs will also be able to change the default search engine in Internet Explorer, but for the rest of the device Bing will remain the default.

Windows Phone 7 devices will use Microsoft Unified Storage System for user files, meaning applications will not be able to distinguish between files on internal storage and main memory.  This also means if the user removes the memory card the smartphone will only be able to make emergency phone calls, but nothing else.

For much more in the internals of Windows Phone 7 see Tweakers.net here.

Thanks Wajma for the tip.