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The problem is that MS has again released a nice hardware product but fails on the software side.
The Apple Watch gets released about six months after the Band but still beats it by app support by a mile. There should be 1000s of Band apps right now, but Microsoft apparently decided to play catchup again.
Why shouldn't it be possible to control PowerPoint from the Band like you can now do with the Apple Watch? Why shouldn't you be able to manage OneDrive with your Band like you can do with the Apple Watch? Just because the Band is a fitness device?
Go back to a Story on Windows Central that basically broke down what Microsoft did with the Band and Why.
For MS it was a proof of concept that it did not expect to catch fire like it did, which was why the limited production runs. They also had no ads about it at the start, no TV spots.
They wanted to only license the tech to Fitbit and others.
They also wanted to round up Health Bands by Fit and so on to come under Microsoft Health App.
So it's not really a case of playing catch up, more a case of being caught unaware of what happened.
They did not expect Tech/Fitness junkies to go ga ga in reviews and push awareness of the device past other fitness band makers to the wearable marketplace.
They know now, and they could have followed with a Watch that could have taken a little Thunder from Apple ( I'll admit not much), but enough to make a wave or two.
So it only looks like they playing catch up, but they didn't even have people in place at the time to handle Marketing it for the consumer, which was why the huge delay to get it over to the British market to sell.....again in low numbers as they didn't plan this as a main stream consumer device.
So without knowing it they hit a walk off grand slam home run, and sadly are facing third base blocking home plate not even aware they should run around the bases!!