I am passionate about Windows Phone, just give it a try

I use devices from nearly all smartphone platforms and like to give them all at least a chance to occupy my pockets. I like iOS, I tolerate Android, and I LOVE Windows Phone so when I read James' new post titled, "Windows Phone: The passionless platform", you know I had to chime in and tell James why he is wrong on this one :)

I have the iPhone 4S for Verizon, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, the Nokia N9, and many other smartphones in my gear bag and drawers, but the main device I keep going back to is the spec lowly HTC Radar 4G. The hardware is superb with the aluminum body, size that easily fits in any pocket, and battery life that carries me through my long day. Windows Phone is elegant, efficient, stable, personable, and a simple joy to use.

iOS is fine and I do like my iPhone, but it is more for the superb apps than the OS itself. I have tons of folders with apps stored in them, but the home screen interface reminds me of my Palm OS days. Android lets you customize it like crazy and have widgets all over the home screens, which ends up making it a bit overwhelming and cluttered at times. Not to mention, I still get FC (force close) in Android apps on a daily basis. If I had to choose just a single platform right now, I would choose Windows Phone in a heartbeat.

With Windows Phone I have a main home/Start screen with eight Live tiles and most of the time I just use this home screen or slide up to view the next eight tiles and rarely have to dive any deeper to get to what I use all the time. My eight Live tiles include:

1. Phone/dialing utility: Calling people I talk to all the time is just two taps from dialing.
2. Family tile: I can communicate with my family, view their status updates, see their latest photos with a simple tap and couple swipes.
3. Messaging tile: My teen daughter and wife text all the time and this is essential.
4. Linked inbox: All my email is accessed from one tile.
5. Music & Videos tile: I love my Zune Pass.
6. Rowi: This is my favorite Twitter application on Windows Phone.
7. YouVersion Bible: Thanks to this app I have now passed 107 straight days of completing my daily Bible reading plan.
8. AlphaJax: I love playing this word game. You can play against me if you want, just challenge "palmsolo".

My next eight down include my calendar, RunKeeper, Spotify, Xbox Live games, Internet Explorer, Marketplace, Flixster, and USAA bank.

I am a firm believer that Windows Phone is going to move up into third and maybe even second place in the smartphone race at some time, people just need to give it an honest try. My wife gave up her 12 megapixel Nokia N8 for a Nokia Lumia 710 and tells me every other day how much she loves using Windows Phone because it is so fast and easy for her to get things done and NEVER freezes or resets. My middle daughter has a Samsung Focus and constantly tells me this is the best phone ever. My youngest wants a Windows Phone and when something better comes to T-Mobile I will pass along my Radar to her. These family members are passionate about Windows Phone and so am I so I completely disagree with James statement that this is a passionless platform. What's your position?

Related ZDNet content

• Windows Phone: The passionless platform
• Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 is the most stable mobile phone OS
• Torn between two smartphones...feeling like a fool
• HTC Radar 4G is first Windows Phone Mango device in U.S. (review)
• Seven reasons I chose the HTC Radar 4G over the Nokia Lumia 710
• Great Debate lost: What will it take for Windows Phone to be the 3rd platform?