The title of the thread is actually an interesting one. Are we - where "we" stands for WP users - delusional? Or, would the it be more appropriate to ask: Is MS delusional (for wanting to be a major H/W player in the mobile market)?
To start off, I would like to refer to a recent article that I read. I am not sure how much credence to give to it, but it seems to ring true. You can check it out here:
Microsoft: Nicely entrenched in mobile | ZDNet
Essentially, the article argues that MS is well set up in the mobile space - where "well set up" means having a rather meaningful presence. This is in the form of apps that it has in the global mobile space (emphasis on global and not on a single platform) and in the services sphere.
But this further reiterates the significance of the question: Is MS delusional for wanting to be a major H/W player? On the face of it, it would appear that MS is indeed delusional. On the one hand they have Apple with its high-end and well-crafted devices with very slick apps and a comprehensive store. On the other there is Android with its plethora of OEMs who are churning out devices across virtually all price segments and which is equally backed by a comprehensive store (though often the store offerings may not be as slick as Apple's). How can MS break into such a space? Beating Blackberry does not really count as (1) it has a very small slice of the market and (2) it is a relatively niche offering.
But there are two things that lead me to believe that MS is not actually delusional. First, a lot depends on Windows 10. If MS can actually pull off what they claim they are attempting to do, then that will turn the tide - may not be immediately, but certainly within 12 months. Second, MS is effectively not going for saturated markets (i.e., Western markets). Instead, it is going for relatively untapped markets - in Asia, Africa and parts of Europe. This may explain the slew of low-end virtually "introductory" devices that they are currently making and the fact that they are giving away the OS for free. Why would they be doing this? Simply because they want marketshare, which they know they can't get in the Western world. Not only are they going for market share, they are also going for mind share. By making affordable handsets, they are putting devices and services in the reach of users who may not be able to afford the high costs that Apple and some high-profile Android OEMs demand.
But that still leaves the question of apps. Of course, there is an app gap. But closing the app gap only makes sense in the mature and saturated Western markets. Take a look at the list of apps that were listed above in a post. Now ask yourself - how many of those apps would a user in a country in Asia and Africa be missing? Answer? Very few.
But I suspect, MS is not packed with fools either. They probably know that they can hold up for about another year with this state of affairs till they release Windows 10. And, if their attempt to achieved what they have set out to do with Windows 10 is successful, they would have been able to put at the disposal on their primary strategic market (i.e., the East) a range of applications that would be (1) very familiar given that MS is still a dominant OS player in non-mobile segments globally and (2) they would be able to provide a service that no other platform could ever hope to provide - at least in the spread of offerings.
If we assume the above holds any validity, then the question arises - who indeed is delusional? Is it we who are constantly harping on closing the app gap and certain OS functionality delusional? Are we missing the point of MS's strategy? You will notice that when most tech blogs and articles write about this app gap their focus is always on the Western markets. But that is not where the growth of the mobile space lies. Why? Because, the up and coming users of mobile hardware and services are in the East and they are - in some cases - skipping a generation or two of technology to get in on the action. And, it is they who will determine the future of the mobile market.
One last point. I think - and this is just something that I picked up in my readings and conversations on this topic - that the up and coming trend in consumer-level mobile technologies is what I call the "just-enough" paradigm. In effect, this paradigm suggests that what mobile technology users want are devices and services that are "just enough" to deal with current and emergent needs. They don't need highly finely honed experiences. They want to get their work done and be done with it. Why? Because the context in which these users use their technologies is still rather under-developed and not as sophisticated as say, the Western markets. So, "just enough" devices and services work well with them. Now, as they mature and as their context matures and as a consequence of which they needs become more sophisticated, they are going to look for (1) a better experience and (2) for seamlessness with their general computing needs. With specific reference to the second point, notice how Windows 10 plays right to that gallery. And, as for the first point, notice also how with Windows 10, MS is addressing the question of experience with familiarity.
So, what do you guys think? Makes sense?
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