In the months leading up to various rumours & event, there’ve been lots of false starts, twists and turns on Microsoft’s mobile roadmap. Mary Jo, who has been covering Microsoft for almost 20 years, have been getting lots of tips.

Here’s a quick guide to Microsoft’s mobile offerings, organized by codename, designed to help demystify what Microsoft demos and details next week at Mobile World Congress:

Microsoft officials have confirmed to Neowin that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will be hosting the Windows Phone Press Conference at Mobile World Congress 2010 next week.

The confirmation of Steve Ballmer’s attendance signals a significant product announcement next week in Barcelona. Neowin sources have confirmed that Ballmer will unveil Windows Mobile 7 which will include a Zune HD like interface codenamed “Metro”, Xbox and Bing intergration (including navigation), Zune music software and improved games support.

Now there isn’t anything particularly wrong with Windows Mobile 6.1+ but then again there isn’t much right with it either. One can argue that Windows Mobile has more apps than any other mobile operating system but then there is no easy way to find and install those apps, let alone know if the app is any good. The operating system has some great features that have been there for ages, such as tethering, but then the whole operating system has major issues like being very unfriendly for only finger input.

Window Phone – concept phone, On one hand clear conceptual phones already, so this is not just the first but on the other, the so-called Window Phone has one impressive feature – its transparent housing varies depending on the weather! Thus, in the sunny days, the screen will be completely transparent, on a rainy day it will appear virtual drops, but it is covered with frost frost i.e translucent screen will look like as well as present a window into a variety of weather. I do not know how it will be practical, but at least,original!

While reporting its latest financial results, Microsoft has apparently confirmed that Windows Mobile 7 would be announced really soon – most probably at MWC 2010 (15 – 18 February). According to Electronista, Microsoft’s CFO Peter Klein declared that the company’s new version of Windows Mobile would be unveiled “in a few weeks.” This is in line with some of the latest rumors we’ve heard about WM7, so let’s hope Microsoft will indeed announce the new OS next month.