On top of this, the company has also relaxed its own anti-moonlighting provisions for its employees. In common with many technology companies, most Microsoft employees are subject to terms in their contracts stating that any software they create on their own time is company property. The company recognizes that there are many developers within its ranks who would be interested in writing third-party applications for the phone if only their contracts permitted it—especially because every one of those employees will be given a Windows Phone 7 handset, a move sure to spur even greater interest in the platform. To address this, Microsoft employees will be allowed to retain ownership—and profit, if they choose to sell their applications—of any Windows Phone 7 software they write.

Wondering, how this will help the app situation for WP7. If I would be Steve Ballmer I would raise the appstore registration fee for employees.

via arstechnica.com

Maybe it would be time to drop the floppy icon altogether and choose something else.

Disclaimer: I like Windows Phone 7 and I think it will be a great device and a mobile OS.

I was using Windows Vista from the early betas until just about 4 months ago. I liked many of its features such as search and aero and the new start menu, but after a while I have just realized that there is something wrong with it and I have given up. Formatted my hard disk and installed Windows XP and did use my computer that way ever since. For me, the experience was a little bit like when someone meets this really nice and nice girl and decides to live with her. First it goes really well, but after a while the realization comes, there is no love in this relationship anymore or maybe never ever has been and then moves out of the apartment.

With Windows 7 it is totally different though. There is chemistry here and it feels like we have known each other for years. It has everything that is important for you and much more… There is hope! There is love!

There are many things I like a lot in Windows 7, but one thing I like the most is its speed and smoothness. It just works. No senseless pauses sprinkled with flashy animation when copying files, no freezes. It does what it needs to do.

Things I like…

The new taskbar is really good. It resembles the dock from OS X, but I think it is a very nice improvement in Windows.

I like the themes in Windows. I was never a big fan of the plus packs in earlier versions, nor the different themes, but I love the ones that come with Windows 7. I even like them better than the themes can be found in OS X.

I also like Aero snap, the full-screen previews on the taskbar,  jump list and finally the desktop gadgets are starting to be useful too. The best is to check What’s coming Windows 7.

Things I didn’t like…

My only complaint is around Apple Bootcamp. I did not have any problems with the drivers, except the speakers are not working for some reason. My headphone jack socket shines out with red light and if I plug-in headphones the audio works through the headphones, if I take it out then the no audio.
Then I tried to install Bootcamp on Windows 7, but the setup told me that it works only with Windows Vista and Windows XP.  It would be nice to see an update from Apple for the drivers, but I guess this should wait until Windows 7 is released.

I think we are looking forward to a really nice next version of Windows. It is an evolutionary step, with smaller changes and little features, but I think if Windows needs to copy anything from OS X then it needs to copy these small steps…