I must start off by saying that Windows Mobile (Not to be confused with Windows Phone or Windows 10 mobile), Windows CE, Windows Embedded and PocketPC (which are basically the same thing) achieved considerable success. Windows Mobile achieved 42% smartphone market share at its peak and a non trivial PDA market share, Windows Ce achieved significant market share for transaction devices like barcode scanners and rugged handhelds and is still in use by many businesses today. The Windows CE Family of Products was by far a major success and is found in thousands of products, some still used by businesses today. For the sake of simplicity I will put Windows Embedded, Windows Mobile, Pocket Pc and Windows CE under Windows CE Family, as they can run the same applications and are basically the same platform.
What went wrong? First they abandoned the Windows CE Family and replaced it with Windows Phone 7 Series. The problem with Windows Phone 7 Series is that none of the hardware available at the time could run it and its hardware requirements were very high. Plus due to changes to application development, none of the thousands of Windows Ce apps could run, despite Windows Phone 7 being CE based. It also lacked various features and was comparable to an early iPhone in terms of how crippled it was. There was also no naative code. Part of the coolness of Windows Mobile and Windows Mobile devices was their versatility. Plus thousands of applications down the drain and thousands of devices that will never run it. Essentially Microsoft burned many software developers, businesses and OEMs, which caused many of them to jump ship. What Micrpsoft should have done instead was take Windows Movile and update its user interface.
Then Came Windows Phone 8. This once again repeated the same mistake, they broke backwards compatibility with applications and Windows Phone 8 couldn't run on Windows Phone 7 software. Windows 10 Mobile repeated the same mistake as well.
Microsoft also has a long list of platforms that they created and then quickly abandoned.
Zune
Playsforsure
Portable Media Center
Windows RT
Microsoft Kin
Windows Tablet Edition/s
UMPC/MID
Netbook
The bottom line is Microsoft created platforms and stopped supporting them. Windows on the desktop and to a lesser degree on server succeeded because it has decades of backwards compatibilitt and continual support as well as a robust hardware ecosystem. If you want to succeed in Mobile create one platform, stick to it, support it, and get it on as much hardware as possible.
Maybe it was all for better. Without all this stuff Microsoft created, there would probably be less innovation, however Microsoft could have innovated without destroying backwards compatibility and screwng over their customers. Microsoft is to mobile what atari is to consoles, they achieved great initial success and then screwed it up by continually crapping out platforms and not supporting. Personally I enjoy PDAs and now that no one wants them they are cheap to collect to think about what could have been.
What went wrong? First they abandoned the Windows CE Family and replaced it with Windows Phone 7 Series. The problem with Windows Phone 7 Series is that none of the hardware available at the time could run it and its hardware requirements were very high. Plus due to changes to application development, none of the thousands of Windows Ce apps could run, despite Windows Phone 7 being CE based. It also lacked various features and was comparable to an early iPhone in terms of how crippled it was. There was also no naative code. Part of the coolness of Windows Mobile and Windows Mobile devices was their versatility. Plus thousands of applications down the drain and thousands of devices that will never run it. Essentially Microsoft burned many software developers, businesses and OEMs, which caused many of them to jump ship. What Micrpsoft should have done instead was take Windows Movile and update its user interface.
Then Came Windows Phone 8. This once again repeated the same mistake, they broke backwards compatibility with applications and Windows Phone 8 couldn't run on Windows Phone 7 software. Windows 10 Mobile repeated the same mistake as well.
Microsoft also has a long list of platforms that they created and then quickly abandoned.
Zune
Playsforsure
Portable Media Center
Windows RT
Microsoft Kin
Windows Tablet Edition/s
UMPC/MID
Netbook
The bottom line is Microsoft created platforms and stopped supporting them. Windows on the desktop and to a lesser degree on server succeeded because it has decades of backwards compatibilitt and continual support as well as a robust hardware ecosystem. If you want to succeed in Mobile create one platform, stick to it, support it, and get it on as much hardware as possible.
Maybe it was all for better. Without all this stuff Microsoft created, there would probably be less innovation, however Microsoft could have innovated without destroying backwards compatibility and screwng over their customers. Microsoft is to mobile what atari is to consoles, they achieved great initial success and then screwed it up by continually crapping out platforms and not supporting. Personally I enjoy PDAs and now that no one wants them they are cheap to collect to think about what could have been.