When Microsoft introduced Continuum with Windows 10 Mobile in 2015, they would have expected it to disrupt the mobile hardware business in the same way as iPhones did in 2007. But it happened to be nothing more than a ripple that faded away in few months. So, was it really a useless feature or was it a case of poor execution? This is what I will try to explain here.
Microsoft marketed continuum as feature that transformed the phone into a PC. But, a PC is not just characterised by a bigger display with a mouse and a keyboard. PC is popular because it has numerous applications developed over a period of more than 20 years. Without those applications, Windows 10 Mobile with Continuum was just a BODY WITHOUT SOUL. Personally, I think it was a foolish move by Microsoft to market Windows 10 Mobile as “a phone that works like a PC”.
Having said that, Windows 10 mobile was exceptional and way ahead of its time (if we ignore the initial crashes). To understand why it failed, we need to go back 30 years. It was 1980’s and Apple made it’s first computer. The only problem was, it was not a “computer” but a board. Steve Jobs realised his mistake and made a full fledged computer in the form of Apple II. W10M had a similar story. Continuum was a cool feature to have on a phone but where were the displays? No one wanted to carry a 14 inch monitor and a keyboard with them wherever they went. This was the main problem with Continuum and Microsoft should have addressed this issue.
So what was the solution? The solution was pretty obvious. Microsoft should have made TABLET LIKE STANDALONE DISPLAYS OF SMALLER FORM FACTOR LIKE 8", 10", & 12" with a built in battery. This could be attached to the smartphone when needed. Instead of marketing W10M as a “phone that works like a PC”, Microsoft should have marketed it as a “PHONE THAT CAN REPLACE YOUR TABLET”. We will all agree that getting a slightly bigger screen can be really advantageous in some scenarios like playing games, reading e-books and watching movies. But I am pretty sure that it would have proved much more useful than that once it had caught people’s attention.
I think that it was a golden opportunity for Microsoft and they just let it pass by. This is where great leaders can make a difference. Perhaps, in the world of big data, AI and quantum computing, the most important thing that is missing is “COMMON SENSE”.
Microsoft marketed continuum as feature that transformed the phone into a PC. But, a PC is not just characterised by a bigger display with a mouse and a keyboard. PC is popular because it has numerous applications developed over a period of more than 20 years. Without those applications, Windows 10 Mobile with Continuum was just a BODY WITHOUT SOUL. Personally, I think it was a foolish move by Microsoft to market Windows 10 Mobile as “a phone that works like a PC”.
Having said that, Windows 10 mobile was exceptional and way ahead of its time (if we ignore the initial crashes). To understand why it failed, we need to go back 30 years. It was 1980’s and Apple made it’s first computer. The only problem was, it was not a “computer” but a board. Steve Jobs realised his mistake and made a full fledged computer in the form of Apple II. W10M had a similar story. Continuum was a cool feature to have on a phone but where were the displays? No one wanted to carry a 14 inch monitor and a keyboard with them wherever they went. This was the main problem with Continuum and Microsoft should have addressed this issue.
So what was the solution? The solution was pretty obvious. Microsoft should have made TABLET LIKE STANDALONE DISPLAYS OF SMALLER FORM FACTOR LIKE 8", 10", & 12" with a built in battery. This could be attached to the smartphone when needed. Instead of marketing W10M as a “phone that works like a PC”, Microsoft should have marketed it as a “PHONE THAT CAN REPLACE YOUR TABLET”. We will all agree that getting a slightly bigger screen can be really advantageous in some scenarios like playing games, reading e-books and watching movies. But I am pretty sure that it would have proved much more useful than that once it had caught people’s attention.
I think that it was a golden opportunity for Microsoft and they just let it pass by. This is where great leaders can make a difference. Perhaps, in the world of big data, AI and quantum computing, the most important thing that is missing is “COMMON SENSE”.
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