[Rocco Augusto]

Originally Posted by Stinger

They did it with their DAP partners so why not their smartphone partners?

Now that Microsoft own Danger, they've got all of the expertise in-house or they could simply outsource the hardware design to HTC. And let's face it, HTC are the only manufacturer to have mastered the art of Windows Mobile phones. The others could be sacrificed without much significance.

This is true, Microsoft is not above what they like to call "knifing the baby." And usually when Microsoft does decide to filet a youngster it always happens to be Windows Mobile.

[Rocco Augusto]

Originally Posted by Stinger

They did it with their DAP partners so why not their smartphone partners?

Now that Microsoft own Danger, they've got all of the expertise in-house or they could simply outsource the hardware design to HTC. And let's face it, HTC are the only manufacturer to have mastered the art of Windows Mobile phones. The others could be sacrificed without much significance.

This is true, Microsoft is not above what they like to call "knifing the baby." And usually when Microsoft does decide to filet a youngster it always happens to be Windows Mobile.

[Rocco Augusto]

Originally Posted by Jason Dunn

...even with a geeky audience like Chuck has, to work in a set-up against the iPod.

We prefer "nerds" :P

[Rocco Augusto]

Originally Posted by Fritzly

Few observations:

Sold licenses are not sold phones...

True but Microsoft makes money off of the licenses and not the hardware. I'm sure Microsoft could care less if a company like HTC has 2 million unsold WM phones sitting in a warehouse somewhere as HTC has already paid them for the Windows Mobile platform. This is one of the reasons why I think Steve Balmer is confused about Android since technically it is not cutting into their revenue stream... yet.

[virain]

Originally Posted by Rocco Augusto

True but Microsoft makes money off of the licenses and not the hardware. I'm sure Microsoft could care less if a company like HTC has 2 million unsold WM phones sitting in a warehouse somewhere as HTC has already paid them for the Windows Mobile platform. This is one of the reasons why I think Steve Balmer is confused about Android since technically it is not cutting into their revenue stream... yet.

True, but if HTC has 2 mil unsold phones, MS might care about future sales, any "concerned shareholder" understands it. And I own Android G1 and I am not concern about it cutting into MS revinue stream, as Google OS is better position to fight iPhone, not WM, and BTW I just pre order HTC Touch HD. No US 3G, but it is a small sacrifice for the rest functionality of WM.

[soho_1]

So Jason, what I hear you saying is that Microsoft values its relationships with its vendors more than its relationships with end users.

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by Fritzly

I remember when they launched the Wireless routers line: great hardware, very easy setup; why they discontinued it is still a mystery to me.

Indeed - the Microsoft networking hardware was absolutely fantastic. My theory is that they exited that market so they could gain the support of Linksys, Dlink, etc. for their zero-config WiFi setup system. No one could cooperate with them so long as they were a competitor.

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by soho_1

So Jason, what I hear you saying is that Microsoft values its relationships with its vendors more than its relationships with end users.

That's one way of looking at it, but a Windows Mobile team member would say that they value their partners and have faith in their ability to bring great devices to the market.

Remember Microsoft as a whole is still a platform company - they build the software, their partners create the hardware, and everyone makes money. Things like the Xbox and the Zune are still quite counter-cultural within Microsoft as a whole.

[MAK11]

MS puts an end to this nonsense started but the Inq :
Schaeffer's Market Blog: Source Denies Microsoft Smartphone Rumors

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by MAK11

MS puts an end to this nonsense started but the Inq :
Schaeffer's Market Blog: Source Denies Microsoft Smartphone Rumors

A nameless source? That's not exactly definitive...

[Kirkaiya]

Has anyone else looked at NVidia's "demo" of the user-interface of their (still in prototype stage) smartphone?

See http://www.nvidia.com/object/mobile_games_demos.html

Granted, this a flash demo of a UI that likely doesn't exist in full form yet - but according to CNet and others, it's capable of playing 720p HD video with quality equivalent to a desktop, and the reference hardware/prototype has a mini-HDMI output, and was demoed hooked up to an HDTV, and handled playback there as well.

According to Wikipedia, the smartphone version of the Tegra chip, the Tegra APX 2500, runs at 600 MHz, and integrates a video-processor handling 854 x 480 resolution (seemingly for games, slick finger-flick GUI, etc.) and a "LCD controller support[ing] resolutions up to 1680x1050" for external playback.

Oh - and the entire thing is layered on top of Windows Mobile, a la TouchFLO 3D. But if NVidia's chip is even half as fantastic as they're claiming, it could convievably be as responsible as an iPhone, but with a display and video processing power that would represent a discrete jump in performance.

Their concept, at least, approaches what I believe is the near-term future for a lot of people's use of the internet: many (if not most) people will only own a next-gen smartphone; they'll just hook it to their HDTV's and a wireless keyboard at home, when they want to surf the web on a big screen, or work on documents/spreadsheets, and watch movies they've downloaded. Then they yank it out of the docking station (or yank the mini-HDMI cable) and take all of the storage & processing power with them as their mobile phone. With screens of 854x480, or better, it's effectively a netbook-class computer anyway.

I have no idea whether Nvidia's Tegra can save Microsoft's WinMo bacon, but it beats the hell out of just releasing WM 6.5, and waiting another 10 months for WM7 while Android and RIM eat their lunch.

Hopefully this is a sign that Microsoft actually has a strategy, and maybe we just weren't aware of it.