According to Italian website (via ), the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace now has 1,636 apps. That's a 37 percent increase since November 1, when 1,191 apps were available.

I'm not sure where MyLostBlog's data comes from, but other reports suggests that WinPho7 reached the --roughly in line with the blog's statistics. Although MyLostBlog uses the Italian store for its data, it notes that 1,503 apps are in English, with the remaining apps in Italian, Spanish, French and German.

Apps are , so any new platform will naturally have a disadvantage against the and . The important thing to look at is growth. At this rate of 55 new apps per day, Windows Phone 7 should roughly double its app count in a month, and more than 20,000 apps in a year. Of course, the actual growth rate is going to fluctuate, but, so far, I think Microsoft's is paying off.

MyLostBlog has some other interesting stats on the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace. Currently, 468 apps are free, and 751 apps cost 1 Euro (about $1.40, though this price will likely translate to $1 in the United States). Games are by far the most popular category, with 427 apps, followed by tools (200 apps) and entertainment (176 apps).

As for app quality, well, your mileage will vary depending on particular interests, but Windows Phone 7 hits most of the basics, such as Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Shazam, IMDB and Netflix. There's also a car finder, tons of task managers, tip calculators, and, of course, a whole medley of fart apps.