>I have a close friend who manages a chain of Verizon stores, and he just not impressed with anything Windows and he said customers also not interested in them versus other stuff.
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>Side note, I have heard from a top sales person last week at Microsoft (close friend, not a business contact) that they will be offering a new incentive to current people in August to slow down the brain drain. You heard anything about that?

Microsoft just finished announcing details on the software update coming to Windows Phone later this year, in the fall. Nearly all of the features is functionality that already exists in iOS and/or Android. So I expect the WinPhone update to be released in Oct or Nov, and it will take about 3 months for most carriers to test it before releasing an update to their older devices. So I expect those who have the first generation WinPhones won't get the update until year next year, after the next iPhone is released and many more Android updates.

The odd thing to me is Windows Mobile did well targeting business/enterprise, and WinPhone7 targets consumers, mainly those who have never owned a smartphone before. Microsoft has to catch up to Blackberry and fight off HP Palm/WebOS well into the next year before anyone can logically talk about it catching up to iOS or Android. I like the competition, but Microsoft needs to move much faster and also innovate (not just play catchup), otherwise it's the Zune story again (nice hardware and functionality, but didn't even dent the iPod market share).

Microsoft recently modified it's employee compensation, starting in September: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/will-microsofts-overhaul-of-its-employee-review-system-boost-morale/9259