We've all heard the jokes about what would happen if Microsoft made cars. And as editors, we know that stories about Windows nightmares are surefire crowd-pleasers for the same reason: they play off the perception that Windows is about as stable as the Jackson family.

Earlier versions of the OS were flaky, but that's ancient history. I've used Windows XP on numerous notebooks and desktops--both at home and at work--for years with little trouble. (The constant barrage of service packs and security updates is more disconcerting, but that's another column.) So I thought the stability concerns about Microsoft software were overblown--until I tried one of the first Windows smart phones.

The Motorola MPx200 is one of the first phones based on Microsoft's Windows Mobile Smartphone (a stripped-down version of the software found on Pocket PCs). The dual-mode GSM/GPRS phone uses the network formerly known as AT&T Wireless and can be had for as little as $70 with service. The other Microsoft-based smart phone model is the Samsung SCH-i600, a Verizon handset that costs a whopping $500.

Although the MPx200's start-up "Smartphone 2002" splash screen looked outdated (what has it been doing for two years?), the flip phone seemed solid at first. It worked smoothly with the ActiveSync software already on my notebook, easily synchronizing meetings and contacts (it comes with a USB cable and cradle). But it didn't take long for cracks to appear.

You're breaking up
On the way from home from work one evening, I dialed a number, and the phone locked onto it. I couldn't end the call. I couldn't get on the Web. I couldn't even shut the thing off. Eventually, I had to pop off the back cover, then remove and reinsert the battery to get control of the situation. When I turned it back on, the MPx200 indicated that the battery, which had been fully charged, was now running on empty.

A few days later, I got a call at the office. I disconnected the phone from the USB cable to answer the call, and the screen went dark. After frantically flipping it open and shut several times and punching buttons, the phone woke up and the call connected.

Most of the time, the MPx200 works fine, but it seems like the software is always a step or two behind me. When I dial a call, for example, it often takes a couple of seconds for the numbers to appear, leading to frequent misdials. Other users I've talked to, though, felt the MPx200 (with its 32MB of RAM, 32MB of ROM, and Texas Instruments 130MHz ARM OMAP710 processor) was responsive. Finally, the call quality with the included headset hasn't been great; other users who've tried third-party headsets have reportedly run into more-serious problems with dropped calls.

Those glitches aside, the MPx200 has other limitations. The most obvious is the lack of a thumb keyboard, which makes the e-mail, MSN Messenger, and even SMS features a lot less compelling. It also supports only a single e-mail account and lacks Pocket versions of Word or Excel for viewing attachments. (Web browsing using Internet Explorer or AT&T mMode works just fine sans keyboard, though.) The MPx200 also lacks a camera and Bluetooth wireless.

Microsoft maintains that most users do not want a hybrid PDA/phone. Instead, they want a great cell phone for calls and a handheld for wireless data and personal information management. There's an element of truth to this, and playing strictly by these rules, the MPx200 is actually a decent phone.

The shiny, black and blue case looks great, isn't much larger than a regular flip phone, and weighs only 3.8 ounces. The color display is big and bright (720x220 pixels and 65,000 colors), and the MPx200 has an external display that shows the usual time and date, signal and battery strength, and caller ID. It also has many advanced features such as voice dialing, three-way calling, and a great speakerphone.

I especially like the eight customizable profiles that automatically adjust phone settings based on your calendar. I wanted to like the Windows Media Player on the MPx200, which can play both WMA and MP3 files off of a storage card in the SD slot, but it's not yet compatible with the music services that use secure WMA files (such as Napster and BuyMusic.com), greatly limiting its appeal.

What do you want?
Microsoft may be right that some users simply want a cell phone. But personally, I prefer the all-in-one concept, and I ultimately think that a single device with some keyboard will win out. There's a reason that PalmOne has reshuffled its strategy away from pure PDAs. With the MPx200, I still have to carry a separate gadget for corporate e-mail (the GoodLink G100), but I wouldn't have to with the Treo 600, for example.

Nevertheless, the MPx200 is a solid cell phone, especially for business users who want easy access to calendar and contacts. There is an undeniable cachet to seeing Windows running on your phone, and given the MPx200's bargain-basement price, early adopters may be willing to forgive its idiosyncrasies (I count myself among this crowd). Perhaps that is why it gave the Treo 600 a real run for its money in our March madness cell phone tournament. But I would hesitate to recommend it to the rest of the world until the software matures and the AT&T mess gets sorted out.

Of course, cell phones are just the start. Microsoft wants the whole world to run on Windows, which raises the stakes a bit in terms of stability and reliability. Earlier this year, at the big Consumer Electronics Show, the company test-drove--you guessed it--concept cars running Windows Automotive, a version of Windows CE. In time, Microsoft will work out the kinks, but if the first phones are any indication, I'd steer clear of that version 1.0 Hummer.