Yeah, this is a risky move. I appreciate businesses rolling with risks. Microsoft has made their money with software products that have been very consistent, so the average tech fan does not see how many risks MS has taken in the last 20 years. Bing, XBOX, dumping Win Mo, making their own hardware when they are so dependant on other companies are all examples.
I have adjusted my thinking on this a little. And I also have come full circle on another thing. I had thought that this device was one of the reasons MS bought Nokia's handset division. With Nokia having the X in the pipeline, I thought it was the signal that Nokia was going to branch out to Android after the Billion dollars a year exclusive contract with MS for WP devices was over. I thought they used it to force MS's hand. Now, after this announcement, it seems obvious I have to admit Nokia had MS rowing in the same direction as them with this thinking. It has MS written all over it- use Nokia's still strong name in developing markets to push it and plaster MS services on it.
However, I am in the corner of those that are just shaking their head. Because it LOOKS like WP UI, and it has MS services instead of Google, and we will not say the word "Android" out loud, consumers will jump to WP? HOW is that different in any way to a low end WP? Except in real world applications, it may not run as well? It just ..... doesn't... make.... sense. It is hurting my head trying to wrap my brain around it.
Oh yeah. That full circle thing? I am left pondering... If MS was okay with releasing the "X", and Nokia was happy with it's profitable asha series feature phones and billion dollar deal with MS that helped offset their reorganization losses, why did MS buy Nokia?
I think that Mr. Elop made a decision somewhere along the line to return with Nokia in tow to MS. I have never said or typed that until now. I do NOT think it was his original intent, honestly. I think he made the tough decisions to save the company he was CEO of. I really do. But I think by about year 2 of Nokia's relationship with MS, he started planting seeds and pulling strings to come back to MS as a conquring Hero. Nothing else makes sense. If MS was onboard with these Android phones and these were not the catalysts to buy Nokia, then something else had to be. MS had the best of both worlds with Nokia having an exclusive deal with them. No reason to make this deal unless inside forces were churning.
Something about that bothers me.