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Nokia acquired by Microsoft

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Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#151
post #132
post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed re: Samsung. With this new acquisition, Microsoft now has the ability to control the entire mobile phone experience -- something Apple has had huge success doing for years now. They'll have a high-quality platform to promote their app store and create an interesting ecosystem. This'll also create a distinct image in consumer's minds of what the Microsoft Phone is, similar to what we imagine when we think of th…

Google has Motorola and the Nexus line. As for Microsoft, their spectacular failure with the Surface suggests that having control of both hardware and software does not necessarily result in success.

The Nexus line is in no way establishing a cohesive Google experience. Most opt for Samsung or HTC. Regarding the Surface: you're right, it flopped. Difference here is that Microsoft is bringing in the talent, experience, and quality product to make a more serious attempt at mobile.

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#152
Among many other things, with this, MS can now compete with Google Maps. Although they already had a partnership with Nokia, having them with a tighter team integration is a different story. I am sure both MS and Google will do drastic innovations with this renewed competition.

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can we not talk about this in terms of war and battle? It is the business of selling consumer electronics, same as it has always been. You do explain your position well but I feel the references to war and battle water it down. No one has been killed in the development of phones. I get that the MBA crowd read the art of war and it's practical knowledge seeped into popular discussion. But the endless reference to war…

How about we use language and imagery that most people understand.

Is this a question or a statement? Modern battle and war have very little in common with business. So, it is my opinion that the use is such terms waters down an otherwise reasonable well thought out comment.

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>There are a lot of people who would have picked up the attractive, well built, well engineered Nokia devices if they had the platform of Android. Yeah maybe. There is no guarantee that the outcome would have been more favorable than being bought out by Microsoft. >Apple obviously is very much in a battle with Android ... Apple already lost to Android. Last count, Android had 80% of the market. There is zero chance o…

Can we not talk about this in terms of war and battle? It is the business of selling consumer electronics, same as it has always been. You do explain your position well but I feel the references to war and battle water it down. No one has been killed in the development of phones. I get that the MBA crowd read the art of war and it's practical knowledge seeped into popular discussion. But the endless reference to war…

It probably felt like it to the staff who got fired a couple of years back

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#155
post #79
post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like your little "first party" qualification to make sure your snark was accurate. Anyway, there are plenty of great Instagram apps on Windows Phone 8: http://www.wpcentral.com/tags/instagram

The "first party" bit is the scathing, indicative part..

Its Instagram's decision to "crown" a third party developer - Instragram has never expressed inability due to platform limitations - they always expressed lack of desire, probably from a philosophy of dis-taste towards Microsoft rooted in the prejudices of the founder or the group of developers at Instagram.

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree. I doubt purchasing Nokia's phone business would make PC vendors any more worried than Surface/Surface Pro did. Windows is still king of the desktop and unless Android becomes a desktop OS or Apple starts licensing OS X there aren't any real alternatives with consumer brand recognition. If Ubuntu were the answer then System 76 would be more than a boutique PC maker. If MS starts making desktops, laptops, a…

With every passing day Windows is becoming more and more irrelevant - iPads, Chromebooks, non-Windows SmartPhones/Tablets etc. are really the future of consumer computing. So it isn't as far fetched as it was few years ago that OEMs will successfully back Ubuntu/Fedora/Android/ChromeOS and give consumers a laptop that can do everything Windows does for them today. The only holdouts would be power users that rely on W…

This is true but it's not going to happen that quickly. Traditional computers are still where "serious" work like homework is done. In my experience anyone who does more than spend time looking up recipes and checking out Facebook considers their phone to be too limited for "real" work.

Some people might be happy with a bluetooth keyboard and a tablet but clearly the billions of dollars in sales of traditional PC hardware shows that the desktop is here to stay for a while.

My point, basically, is that no one is going to look back at history and say "Microsoft purchasing Nokia's phone division was the end of the desktop PC." They're going to look at the release of the iPhone and then the time that Android, iOS, Win Phone, etc became just as good (i.e. no one thinks "should I use my iPhoneLapDocTop or my Windows Laptop") for general purpose computing as Windows and OS X every were. I think cloud services and "dockable" phones with proper large screen UI/UX will be key to that. I'm pretty excited about that, assuming it happens, as I sometimes find my MBPr too large but my iPad too limited for some things like interviewing potential hires. Using the same core for each would be very handy, but I've digressed.

Also don't discount those holdouts. The fact that Windows gained so much of a foothold in the home because it was what people are/were using in the office. The Mac OS, even if it was 100 times better that Windows at any given time didn't have that ubiquity. Smart phones have the benefit of being in everyone's pocket, but until your boss/HR sets you up with a brand new iAndroidPhone OS laptop for work Windows will still have that crutch to lean on.

IMO the patient is terminal but the prognosis is a drawn out death that might be lived on by Windows Phone if any of this works out.

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#157
post #21

That kills my hopes for a Nokia Android phone. Also, Elop seems like the least interesting character to succeed Ballmer. What does he bring to the table? What has he done? Guy looks like a careerist. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Elop#Career

I'm not sure that was ever likely with Elop at the helm, but Nokia is now out of the phone business until at least 2016.

I believe the press release only speaks about the brand. There does not seem to be any limitations for Nokia to enter into phone business. They would just need to have some other brand.

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#158

So Elop was in fact a Trojan Horse? Wonder what this does to the already strained MSFT vendor relationships. You could now almost guarantee vendors will start to completely dump Windows on ARM and possibly even look for alternatives to Windows x86.

Every thing that happens in real life is not Stephen King novel. Elop may have affinity with Microsoft given he worked couple of years there. He worked for number of other respectable companies, so to label Elop as a Microsoft man is a bit of stretch.

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#159
The acquisition does NOT include:

  - HERE Maps
  - Nokia NSN (Nokia Siemens Networks, its "network infrastructure")
  - Advanced Technologies (I couldn't find any info on what this means, given the name)

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#160
post #33
post #12

~$7 Billion for the device & services business and Nokia's patents. Seems like a good price now, but one you wouldn't have ever predicted before 2007 & the launch of the iPhone. In 2003 Nokia was worth $245 billion[1] [1] http://techcrunch.com/2010/06/22/the-sad-tale-of-nokias-sink...

There's no doubt that Nokia has been buoyed by Microsoft leading up to this acquisition. The lack of android devices would have been completely illogical if this wasn't the long game.

I think "end game" is more appropriate than "long game"
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