This week saw the release of Windows Phone 7, Microsoft’s new mobile operating system, which they hope will remove the horrible taint of Windows Mobile from the collective conciousness and put Microsoft in a position where they can compete with the likes of Apple’s iOS and the iPhone and Google’s Android mobile OS and the plethora of devices it’s available on.

So far, early reviews from hands-on testing of the yet-to-be-released handsets (coming to AT&T and T-Mobile by the end of the year) are largely positive, praising Microsoft for a well polished mobile operating system that — while missing lots of critical features like multitasking and copy/paste — integrates lots of Microsoft services like XBox Live, Zune, and social services like Twitter and Facebook out of the box. The hardware platform Microsoft requires from device manufacturers is strong and on the high-end, and manufacturers like HTC and Samsung are heeding the call.

To that point, PC Mag has put together a handy little guide that wraps up everything you need to know about the new Windows Phone 7 devices announced this week, and to help you decide whether you should rush to pick one up when they’re available on your carrier. The general gist? There are some pretty crucial features that are missing at launch, but depending on how you use your smartphone, you may not miss them. There’s even a phone-by-phone breakdown of each device and first impressions.

[ PC Mag :: New Windows Phone 7 Phones: Everything You Need to Know ]