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The Deal That Makes No Sense

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Re: The Deal That Makes No Sense

#121

Post by jhonkola »

lazyjones wrote: post #19

Microsoft is probably aiming to become a patent troll in the long run due to their lack of innovation. They already have many patents they can extort future innovators with, so picking up Nokia's (reported to be worth $6b) makes sense.

They didn't buy Nokia's patents. They bought Devices & Services business unit (the one making the phones) and a 10-year (non-exclusive) licence to Nokia's patents, which obviously are needed to make the phones. Does not sound like a patent troll move on part of Microsoft.

Re: The Deal That Makes No Sense

#122

Post by rmc »

iaskwhy wrote: post #56
rmc wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why should it be abandoned? Just because the author isn't a fan of WP8? The general public aren't a fan of WP8 either.

20% of the general public in Poland, Mexico and some Eastern European countries don't agree with that claim. People forget how varied is the smartphone market across regions.

Sounds like 80% of the general public in Poland, Mexico and some Eastern European countries aren't a fan of WP8.

Re: The Deal That Makes No Sense

#123

Post by slurry »

hackula1 wrote: post #96
slurry wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The smoothness thing is actually an architectural choice. On Windows and iOS, the multitasking subsystem will stop the world for a user gesture. On Android it treats a user gesture as one task to handle among many.

Well frankly, it seems like Android made the wrong choice. Going completely unresponsive is completely unacceptable.

That's certainly true now, and the Android team is on record regretting the decision. It would have been the correct engineering principle for a general purpose computer but obviously fails for a consumer content consumption node.

Currently both the core team and OEMs are striving hard to work around it (reversing it would be impossible as it's baked in).

However, I think as mobile platforms increasingly take on the role of general purpose computers, it will actually end up being a net benefit, and Apple's decision will look as short-sighted as the lack of true multitasking in older Macs.

But maybe not? Who knows...

Re: The Deal That Makes No Sense

#125

Post by ajays »

bodyfour wrote: post #29
polemic wrote: post #11

> "...I think Microsoft ought to abandon Windows Phone. The war is over, and iOS and Android won." That's remarkably short-sighted. The first iPhone was released only 6 years ago, Android 5 years ago. You really think that Microsoft - a company with nearly infinite runway, an enormous R&D investment and serious history - is going to down tools after a few years of frustration? Not likely. The prize is too big and con…

Exactly. Plus it's a prize Microsoft probably feels it can't afford to lose. If Android magically evaporated tomorrow Google would be just fine -- the core of their business (ad sales) doesn't fundamentally require that they control the mobile platform, although it certainly makes things easier. Microsoft, on the other hand, had for decades been the platform company. They've historically tried to grow by pushing out…

> Plus it's a prize Microsoft probably feels it can't afford to lose.

Just like their search engine? They have been flushing cash down the "online services" drain for years, with nary a profit to show, nor any progress in market share. Why should the phone market be any different? They'll keep subsidizing the "WinPhone by Nokia", and flushing cash down this new drain too.

I'm seeing parallels between their attempt to break into the search engine market, and the smartphone market.

Re: The Deal That Makes No Sense

#126

Post by Tloewald »

polemic wrote: post #11

> "...I think Microsoft ought to abandon Windows Phone. The war is over, and iOS and Android won." That's remarkably short-sighted. The first iPhone was released only 6 years ago, Android 5 years ago. You really think that Microsoft - a company with nearly infinite runway, an enormous R&D investment and serious history - is going to down tools after a few years of frustration? Not likely. The prize is too big and con…

Microsoft seems to avoid competing on even playing fields. It would rather own the platform and dictate terms than try to be the best in a crowded market.

There's one notable area where Microsoft has competed and thrived: Microsoft does quite well on the Mac platform, possibly making more money from each Mac sold than it does from each Windows PC sold. And there are in fact more viable word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation program competitors it needs to worry about on the Mac than there are on Windows (Apple's just for starters).

What's short-sighted is Microsoft not being willing to pursue the strategy it has been successful with on the Mac on other platforms such as Android and iOS, and gambling everything on creating another platform it can strong-arm users and developers on -- something it has only quasi-succeeded in doing once (XBox).

Re: The Deal That Makes No Sense

#128

Post by speeder »

skc wrote: post #120
speeder wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I must disagree. In 2010 Nokia was 70% of Brazil smartphone market and their share was still rising, very fast. Symbian phones were known to.be solid, fast, and had apps and games ( even a port of counter strike! ) As soon Elop announced Symbian death, the whole thing tanked, and I cannot help but feel that Elop is stupid.

This would seem to imply that Brazilian consumers read the burning platform memo. I highly doubt that. I have a huge problem with people flat out claiming that Symbian was an acceptably competitive phone offering in 2010. That's a bald faced lie in my opinion.

It was, because it was what people could pay.

Symbian phones were much cheaper than a iPhone, and Android had not yet really arrived in force.

Nokia was known here for making sturdy, durable phones that you could use for a long time. If they paired that with also having a solid app ecosystem for the most popular brazillian uses (like, Facebook, Mail and Youtube) they could have easily won the smartphone wars here.

Instead they dumped Symbian and went for Windows Phone, allowing Android to get their former place in the market.

Mind you, most Android phones here are now no-name chinese ones, Nokia left the cheap but solid phone market, and cheap (but not-solid) phones took over the vacuum.

Re: The Deal That Makes No Sense

#130

Post by tanzam75 »

yulaow wrote: post #27
andrewfong wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> ...wait, no, that would mean Microsoft would have some special insider knowledge of Nokia's finances that no one else was party to. Surely not. Not really an issue if the board approved going to Microsoft with the financial information first. Moreover, when negotiating the strategic partnership, Microsoft may have gotten a right of first negotiation, that would legally entitle it to first dibs on the acquisition an…

So, since the begin the Board was aiming to an acquisition by microsoft after nokia would be so in debt that the total cost would drop? It seems like the board, since now, has made the interest of microsoft and not nokia.

Nokia does not have a net debt position. They have about €2 billion of net cash. After the Microsoft acquisition, €7 billion.
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