For the past week, I’ve been using the HTC 8X, powered by Verizon Wireless with Microsoft’s Windows Phone guts. I’ll be honest, I’m deeply invested in Apple’s and Google’s ecosystems, so switching to Windows Phone permanently would be tough…not impossible, but tough.

On the flip side, there are some people who are not as tied to one particular ecosystem or another. For those [lucky] people. I think All platforms (even the upcoming BlackBerry 10 devices) are fair game. Since I’ll be rocking the 8X for the time being, here are 3 reasons why you should consider Windows Phone.

1. Smooth Operator

Believe it or not, there are some people who don’t own smartphones…Crazy right? For those people looking to adopt the smartphone lifestyle, jumping into Windows Phone is easy. Why? Because there aren’t a ton of apps to overwhelm a new user. After users setup their email, contacts, and calendars…and connect their social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn) that’s pretty much all you need to be productive and stay connected.

The Windows Phone “Me” and “People” Hubs do a good job of keeping users updated on what’s going on in their lives in addition to the lives of family, friends, contacts and colleagues without immediately downloading one app after another. The Live tiles also make it simple to get a “glance” at updates without flipping through a bunch of app screens or widgets to get what you need.

Since I mentioned ecosystems, Windows Phone plays really well with Microsoft Office Suite. Since all the people on planet earth have either a Word, Excel or PowerPoint file somewhere in their possession, accessing those documents (via SkyDrive) doesn’t require any magic tricks, unlike other platforms. Sure, all you have to do is download an app for iOS or Android, but with Windows Phone, you can even skip that step.

2. One-Stop Shop

Windows Phone has taken a page from Apple’s playbook and is building Windows Phone Store to be the ONE PLACE to download apps, music, movies, and other content. Unlike Apple, Windows Phone isn’t a walled-garden if you want to sync content from other platforms (like iTunes) on your Windows Phone device. If have have a Windows laptop/desktop and/or Live account, syncing content is a no-brainer. Even you have a Mac (like moi), simply connect your phone to your computer and use the Windows Phone Connector desktop app and choose what content to want on your device (DRM free stuff of course).

With Android, you can get content from anywhere in addition to Google Play, which could cause confusion, and possible issues with crappy apps that were not downloaded directly from Google Play – And there have been issues with Android malware. As a new or inexperienced smartphone user, Windows Phone is a good choice if you want to just play it safe, but still have options.

3. New Hotness

Windows Phone devices are new and distinct. Whenever I whip out my…smartphone, curious folks always want to know what kind of phone it is and how I like it. Everyone knows what an Apple device looks like…because everybody has one. If your phone is as big as your head, folks assume you have an Android. With Windows Phone, you are guaranteed to stand out from the crowd. Don’t front, we all want to have that “you ain’t up on this” attitude when it comes to tech and gadgets. Rocking a Windows Phone device will definitely give you that new hotness swag (are people still saying swag?).

Sure Windows Phone isn’t as name-worthy as iPhone or Android, and you won’t have access to more apps than you’ll ever download, but there are some unique advantages to choosing Microsoft’s mobile platform.

I want to know, would you choose Windows Phone or are you rolling with what you got?