Lack of mobile will keep MS from being a major player in AI.

[anon(50597)]

I've thought this too. Why create a 3rd app when 2 will cover virtually all smartphone users anyway? There is little in it for devs.

Right now 2 apps will catch 99.5% of smartphone users. So lets say WM or another OS takes a large enough slice of the pie so they cannot ignore it. Now the devs must create 3 apps to get the same user base.

I think this is a big part of it. Right now, as you said, creating 2 covers most of the market. Why would anyone focus on a 3rd one for such a low return? If they had all developed equally at the same time maybe, but not as it is now.

 

[tgp]

I think this is a big part of it. Right now, as you said, creating 2 covers most of the market. Why would anyone focus on a 3rd one for such a low return? If they had all developed equally at the same time maybe, but not as it is now.

It's not just the low return on the 3rd app, given the current market. Let's say that iOS, Android, and WP each had 1/3 of the market. Developers could not ignore any of them. Each one by itself would have the same return as the others. However, they would be creating three apps to cover the same user base that they're now catching with two apps.

I bet developers wish that there was only one ecosystem.

 

[sniperboywc]

Progressive web apps is move toward one ecosystem.

 

[TechFreak1]

It's not just the low return on the 3rd app, given the current market. Let's say that iOS, Android, and WP each had 1/3 of the market. Developers could not ignore any of them. Each one by itself would have the same return as the others. However, they would be creating three apps to cover the same user base that they're now catching with two apps.

I bet developers wish that there was only one ecosystem.

The crux of the matter is that most people understandably don't understand how resource economics work, only now that some are being the grasp the notion of a circular economy as well as how it's principles can be used across the board.

If people understood the concept of a circular economy and resource economics we wouldn't have landfill sites filled with waste food and clothes for instance. Or releasing the CO2 through coal fire plants, as the pressure from that release can be trapped and used to drive additional turbines. If appropriately designed you won't need CO2 filters, you could compress the carbon element and create an non hazardous by product. Which could be then used as an additional source of fuel and the cycle would continue.

The circular economy exists in all aspects of nature.

 

[anon(50597)]

It's not just the low return on the 3rd app, given the current market. Let's say that iOS, Android, and WP each had 1/3 of the market. Developers could not ignore any of them. Each one by itself would have the same return as the others. However, they would be creating three apps to cover the same user base that they're now catching with two apps.

I bet developers wish that there was only one ecosystem.

Exactly. That’s what I meant by low return.

 

[SvenJ]

I think part of the problem is that MS has never had a clue how to market (to consumers). I would bet the average consumer knows of Cortana, but doesn't even associate it with AI like they do with Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa. Those companies actively taut the Artificial Intelligence angle of their products. They promote that this is the future. MS seems to be content in having people think of Cortana as the new Clippy. The lack of mobile isn't hurting them, they already have Cortana on millions of devices, laptops, desktops, Xbox, and people use 'her' everyday. When they click search and find that spreadsheet, they probably don't even realize it is "Cortana" doing that for them. Their lack luster entry into the AI appliance realm, Invoke, isn't helping either. Not even a MS product, and only one mid-range priced option. When Home Minis and Echo Dots are selling for $30, a $100 (on sale) newcomer is tough to sell. I have one. It's excellent hardware and the sound is great, but the AI/third party support is middling. MS is always hampered by the 'build it and they will come' philosophy. 'They' are already somewhere else.