Looking past phones......

[evillama]

^^ This. If MS ever came out with another wearable, they would need to be on their 5th released device before I ever would get comfortable enough to support them again.

Twitter: @PhotographyET

^^This x 2. Much as I'd like to continue to be loyal to MS, as I have been since Windows 2.x, I'm tired of being a Guinea pig, spending my hard earned money on devices that end up being killed and unsupported.

 

[Kevin Grigsby]

Given that the reason for stopping production on the Band was that they couldn't get it to run on Windows 10, if we are approaching success on a modular One Core operating system, what do you think the chances are of MS getting back into wearables?

How "stripped down" does that core get?

YES!!!! PLEASE!!!! I loved my Band 1 and am on my 2nd Band 2. None come close. The GPS on its own is great. Just make it waterproof and perhaps sweat/salt resistant (less degradation.) PLEASE!

 

[GreaseMonkey255]

If you truly want to look beyond mobile, combine the power of Windows on ARM with these:
https://www.vuzix.com/Products/Blade-Consumer

Coming soon (with Android ARM) in Q1 2018!

 

[covfefe]

They did a half-arsed job on the Band 2 which resulted in a loss due to replacements under warranty. So they decided to either do something properly or not at all, and their H1Bs can't do anything properly so they just prefer to ditch things.

 

[Pairadyce]

I don't think the half assed the Band 2. The solved a lot of comfort and UI interactive problems that the first ten had. Unfortunately they did not test the durability long enough because i think they wear trying to stay in line with the Apple and Samsung releases, that led to the tears in the band of the Band 2 and ultimately did it in.

It's strange to me that they don't want to do another me too product yet companies like Garmin and and other not as popular manufacturers continue to exist wear Microsoft continues to pull out. I think Microsofts biggest problem is over-investing to be a market leader rather than settling for a niche share. Niche is obviously not good enough for them

 

[neo158]

Everyone has made very good points. Unfortunately, IMO, MSFT has screwed the pooch too many times. Consumers are not going to invest in products they aren't confident will be around long term. Microsoft has abandoned the consumer market outside of gaming. I do not see this ever happening unless done by a 3rd party.

Exactly what I was thinking, I give Microsoft a year at the most in the consumer space and then they'll be done as consumers have lost faith in pretty much everything they offer.

 

[Adventurer64]

Just Sugru'd my 3rd Band 2 tonight. Hopefully it lasts another 3 months Love Band 2!!

 

[Stan77]

Are wearables for the corporate market? No, currently they're not.

Are wearables Office 365? No, they're not.

Are wearables Azure? No, they're not.

End of story.

 

[covfefe]

And how many products that are market leaders or at least significant revenue streams for a company started out as niche... most of them.

Also look at the continual minaturisation of electrionics... the technology is continually getting smaller and better and cheaper. This is perfect for mobile and wearables, both of which Microsoft are ignoring. This is a major failure of leadership with no strategic or long term thinking in this space. Heads should be rolling.

 

[stuartbritt]

There still isn't a fitness tracker that does evening the band 2 did. Custom workouts and flexible interval timers for Hit / tabata sessions? You now need a full sports watch or smart watch with apps to get that. For this reason alone I'd buy a new Band.

 

[Shobiz]

I just bought two used Band 2's off Offer Up. There is nothing on the market like it. The Fitbit Ionic comes close. I will keep using the Band until I switch to iPhone or Android.

 

[BajanSaint69]

Truthfully after my Band 2 died I went to a Fitbit blaze. If they did a Band 3 I'd probably go back. Blaze isn't bad but the Band was better.

 

[Mateusz Abrahamczyk]

Given that the reason for stopping production on the Band was that they couldn't get it to run on Windows 10, if we are approaching success on a modular One Core operating system, what do you think the chances are of MS getting back into wearables?

How "stripped down" does that core get?

Of course! I'm still using my Band 2, even if it doesn't support some things anymore and is not perfect with my Android Phone. Microsoft Band 3 was looking really nice, since it supposedly had swimming functions, but if they were able to put some sort of W10 into it, it would be amazing!

 

[Adventurer64]

Are wearables for the corporate market? No, currently they're not.

Are wearables Office 365? No, they're not.

Are wearables Azure? No, they're not.

End of story.

Sadly, this is very true. However, I think abandoning consumer market is a huge mistake long term making MS hold on corporate market vulnerable to disruption.

 

[darth furious]

I bought 2 new bands on ebay to last for a few years until something new comes out from any manufacturer that does sleep tracking well. If MS makes another band, I will buy it

 

[Scienceguy Labs]

I bought 2 new bands on ebay to last for a few years until something new comes out from any manufacturer that does sleep tracking well. If MS makes another band, I will buy it

The Garmin Vivoactive HR does sleep tracking very well. Plus, they have a W10 app. I loved my Band 2, and find the Garmin to be a pretty good replacement.

 

[Dono Newcomb]

You have made the case why abandoning the mobile market was a fatal mistake for Nadella/Microsodt.

Interesting enough, while MS said they are no longer going to develop W10M they never said they are not going to quit producing mobile devices. I don't think they are stupid, but what they didn't say is significant especially in the tech world where even the small hint of future tech could give the competition an edge.
If you ask me, they likely realized that W10M had a fatal flaw in it's limitations to the platform for future advancement. If they are truly to make us happy as consumers they will need to revamp the platform with capabilities that W10M simply didn't have. So I expect what is really happening is that we will see the release of a much more capable OS that will cover Mobile and Desktop devices.

 

[Mark Kaplan]

What I find interesting is that all the arrangements for the band 2, which I also loved until my last strap broke, could be made for W10M itself. There is no OS out there that does everything W10M does. The issue again is MSFT's lack of commitment to the consumer space. I now wear a Gearfit Pro to go with my Samsung S8 Plus. I still miss both my band2 and W10M but I miss my old Blackberry too.

 

[naddy6969]

“You have made the case why abandoning the mobile market was a fatal mistake for Nadella/Microsoft.”

Of course it was a huge mistake. But so was losing 10 billion dollars on mobile. How much more money were they supposed to dump into a product that no one wanted?

There was a total of about 100 million Windows Phones sold, over the life of the product, all versions. Roughly 6 years.

Apple sells that many in one quarter. Seriously. There might be that many Android devices sold each month. That’s just a guess, as it’s hard to quantify that. Suffice to say it’s a ginormous number.

Given numbers like that, how could any sane CEO keep dumping money into it AND expect to keep his job? As the saying goes, “A billion here, a billion there. Pretty soon you are talking about real money”.

Microsoft simply failed in mobile. Period. There are lots of reasons, and plenty of blame to go around. Everyone reading this knows those reasons. But to deny it - and to keep on dumping money into it - is the very definition of irrational.

 

[Jean Ramey]

Re: We if we good leadership...

Given that the reason for stopping production on the Band was that they couldn't get it to run on Windows 10, if we are approaching success on a modular One Core operating system, what do you think the chances are of MS getting back into wearables?

How "stripped down" does that core get?

If we had leadership at the top of MS without there head up there U know what We would still have one, I am rebuilding old ones because I depend on on mine.