It’s not a mystery that Windows Phone devices aren’t exactly flying off the shelves, especially here in the U.S. The tough question is why? Customer satisfaction is always through the roof, and we’ve reported countless times how Windows Phone devices are usually at the top of charts in terms of customer ratings. The UI is fresh and smooth. The Marketplace has 50,000 apps and a large music store. What is holding the platform back?

Some would argue that Windows Phone troubles start with the slow beginning. At launch there wasn’t much excitement for Windows Phone devices. The first generation was very bland and safe, nothing really stood out. Just now with the second and upcoming generation of devices has a good buzz started. So what can the bad start be blamed on? Windows.

Let’s face it, the names “Microsoft” and “Windows” don’t exactly scream “cool!” In the tech community Windows, and especially Internet Explorer, are the butt of a lot of jokes. People use Windows, but few love Windows the way a Mac user loves OSX. There is also Windows Mobile to consider. You will find it difficult to find someone who enjoyed using Windows Mobile, and there is a reason for that: it sucked. With the reputation of both these products it becomes more clear why people may have been hesitant to try Windows Phone.

Brand recognition is enormous. It’s why Apple can add Siri to an iPhone 4 and have record profits. It’s also why Microsoft can make a surprisingly great product and it struggles. It’s hard to expect Microsoft to admit the Windows name is lame, but was it really smart to name their new OS so closely after one that failed? Probably not. It’s taking Microsoft a lot of work to overcome the bad start, hopefully the tide begins to turn soon.

What would a better name for Windows Phone be?