Again msft had the chance to own this market but instead got lazy and did nothing innovative over the last decade to do anything about it. What is actually amazing is just a few years ago android wasnt known at all and today they capture a market 3 times larger than msft when it comes to the smartphone market. I once had an old smart phone from 2003 running Windows Mobile 2003, at the time it was pretty much ahead of its time. No other phone on the market could do such that but maybe a few phones from europe. Fast forward to today and msft not only has lost millions of potential customers but they probably wont ever get the chance to play catch up with the likes of Symbian, Android, Apple and even Rimm. They had the chance years ago to own a larger percentage of this market but never capitalized on it. I think its too late now, the smartphone market is just completely saturated at this point with too much competition and nothing unique standing out, each smart phone that comes out is the same repetitive piece of technology as the last. Microsoft Launches New Phones; Available Nov. 8 Published: Monday, 11 Oct 2010 | 1:00 PM ET By: Reuters Microsoft unveiled a new line of phones running its Windows software on Monday, as it attempts to pull back market share from Apple's iPhone and Google's Android system in the fast-growing market for multi-featured "smartphones." The world's largest software company is hoping that the new phones, from handset makers Samsung, LG, HTC and Dell, will propel it back into the mobile market, which many see as the key to the future of computing. http://www.cnbc.com/id/39609761
yes back then windows mobile was really the only os for smartphones unless you like palm. I remember trying to use it when the whole smartphone came out, with one of them latest keyboard nokia bricks to place trades on optionsxpress and try a few websites. It was an absolute nightmare, nothing worked. It was so bad i went back to a regular phone until apple's iphone 3g came out. Phone 7 has epic fail written all over it. Microsoft should just stick to milking the windows os and focus on the corporate side - .net is doing good and ms sql is gaining traction. Because clearly they have no idea how to compete in the retail consumer space with the exception of xbox360.
Microsoft has become such a follower over the years and behind the curve. They need to stop following trends and start creating them. Get some innovation back.
msft should buy nokia right now with nokia in the dust and msft with piles of cash. They could do a leveraged buyout at ridiculously low prices as debt is CHEAP. They would own the worlwide market and then they could come back and fight the domestic war and win. In that way they could have the developing world and sell them the cheaper sets but progressively ramp them up the line to the more profitable high-end smartphones. Nokia has 6 billion in cash after all debt is retired and 60 billion in yearly revenue. No brainer? Anti-trust? Who's running MSFT these days.
That´s actually good. Competition = more employment for the US of A...I wish there would be more competition in the banking sector, too. Especially the INVESTMENT BANKING sector. But for now, it seems an oligopoly ( of maniacs ) has the FED under full control...