Microsoft Shows Off Windows Phone 7 Series Development Tools at MIX10: A Historical Archive

Back in March 2010, the tech world was buzzing with excitement as Microsoft unveiled its ambitious Windows Phone 7 Series platform at the MIX10 Developer Conference in Las Vegas. This pivotal moment in mobile technology history was extensively covered by various tech publications, including Engadget, which had shared video coverage on the now-defunct Viddler platform.

The Original Engadget Coverage on Viddler

The content you're looking for was originally hosted at http://www.viddler.com/explore/engadget, where Engadget had uploaded video demonstrations of Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 Series development tools. Unfortunately, Viddler ceased operations in 2022, and these historical videos are no longer available through their original platform.

These videos showcased Microsoft's presentations from MIX10, where they revealed how developers could build applications for the then-new mobile platform using Silverlight and XNA technologies.

Historical Context: Windows Phone 7 Development

The MIX10 conference was particularly significant as it marked Microsoft's serious re-entry into the smartphone market with Windows Phone 7 Series (later simplified to just "Windows Phone 7"). The platform represented a complete departure from the previous Windows Mobile operating system, featuring a novel "Metro" interface with live tiles.

Silverlight as the Development Platform

One of the key announcements covered in the original video content was Microsoft's decision to use Silverlight as the primary development technology for Windows Phone applications. As discussions on Ars Technica's forums indicated, there was some debate about whether the platform would run "Silverlight 4" or a "superset of Silverlight 3."

According to tech journalist Dr. Peter Bright (DrPizza on the Ars forums), "The intent as expressed to me was that although initially it's a mix of 3 and 4 (falling somewhere between the two), MS's goal was to get them as close as possible in the future."

Netflix Integration

Another noteworthy feature highlighted during MIX10 was the introduction of a Netflix app for Windows Phone 7, which was considered groundbreaking at the time. In 2010, streaming video on mobile devices was still relatively new, and having Netflix integration was seen as a significant selling point for the platform.

Looking Back on Windows Phone 7

While Windows Phone 7 would eventually be discontinued (followed by the entire Windows Phone platform in 2017), the MIX10 conference represents an important chapter in mobile technology history. It showcased Microsoft's innovative approach to mobile UI design—elements of which would later influence the design of Windows 8 and beyond.

Although the original Viddler videos are no longer available, this historical moment in tech continues to be discussed and referenced in various technology archives and retrospectives.