Microsoft is pinning its smartphone-market hopes on Windows Phone 7, its competitor to the Apple iPhone and the growing family of Google Android devices. A vital part of the companys Windows Phone 7 strategy centers on mobile applications. As other smartphone platforms have demonstrated in recent years, a robust app library greatly influences users& Apple’s App Store and its hundreds of thousands of apps are frequently cited as a key draw, while Palms lack of apps is just as often blamed for that platforms failure to build a market presence. Taking no chances, Microsoft is preparing to launch Windows Phone 7 with apps from prominent brands already in place. Those brands include Netflix, Twitter, OpenTable and LucasArts’ "Star Wars." As time goes on, however, Microsoft also hopes that smaller third-party developers will gravitate toward Windows Phone 7 as their platform of choice for building and selling apps. Throughout the summer, Microsoft has been encouraging developers to think about ways to port both games and productivity applications onto Windows Phone 7, even offering a series of online tutorials. – …