Microsoft's mobile platform launched Monday. The question is, was it a success or a failure? One analyst is estimating 40,000 devices were sold day one. How does that rate?We have become used to big launches, something Apple has been doing for the last few releases of the iPhone and the iPad launch earlier this year. Apple confirmed that it sold 1.7 million devices in the first three days after the iPhone 4 launched. Keep in mind that included a lot of pre-orders, but that is still an impressive number.

They also confirmed that when the iPad launched, over 300,000 units were sold the first day.

The Street has asserted that Microsoft has sold 40,000 units in the first day and managed to throw in an ad hominem about Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at the same time.

I've not seen anyone else back up this claim and Microsoft hasn't indicated how many units were sold, but let's assume for a minute that the number is accurate. Does that make Windows Phone 7 a flop compared to recent launches of iOS powered devices?

Remember that Microsoft has to overcome the bad reputation Windows Mobile 6.x had earned when compared to more modern platforms, so some would approach it with trepidation. Microsoft is also in this for the long haul, so one day's sales aren't too relevant. Had it totally flopped and sold just a few hundred units, that would be a sign the OS is in trouble. Selling 40,000 in one day though for what is all intents and purposes a new OS from a company that has a bad reputation from its most recent foray into mobile phones is actually a respectable number.

That is, if 40,000 is anywhere close to reality. We may have to wait a few weeks or months to get some solid numbers on sales.