With an opening line of "It’s finally starting to look like we have a three-horse smartphone race again," there's going to be a lot of happy faces in Microsoft's marketing department. Andy Ihnatko's article for the Chicago Sun Times on Windows Phone is not only a fresh and unbiased look at the interface, it's also honest about the flaws and rough edges.

I like it. Even though I think this minimalism has its limits. I can’t imagine a truly muscular app (like iPhoto for the iPhone) translating to the Zen rock garden of Windows Phone. But let’s be fair: I’m talking about about a rare kind of high-level app that aims to be as functional as a desktop app. Many - I want to guess “most” - users value serenity and clarity as highly as they value those “post PC”-style apps.

The piece itself is actually a long review on the Nokia Lumia 900 and he gets there in the end, after laying out his thoughts on the operating system. Which is actually a sensible way of dealing with it, as the hardware and software need to work together to create the modern smartphone experience. I won't spoil the surprise with any more quotes, but simply say that it's definilty worth a read.