Microsoft should really be scaring its shareholders and partners these days. First it throws almost $50 Billion at Yahoo! for a portfolio that largely mirrors the functionality (or supposed fuctionality) of its MSN properties and an advertising division that has the same issues that it does. That and everyone in the Tech world is wondering what value Yahoo could offer Microsoft?
Today it puts its Windows Mobile line in question by acquiring Danger. Danger built the Sidekick device platform that is very popular with the consumer smartfphone public, but has faltered recently because of the superior Symbian and iPhone operating systems and the Sidekick’s tier 2 hardware made by Sharp and Motorola. The Sideckick OS has very little in the way of multimedia to offer consumers.
One thing that sticks out like a really sore thumb is that the Sidekick platform has absolutley nothing to do with Windows Mobile. It is built on Mobile Java and exists entirely outside the Windows ecosystem. Does Microsoft plan on using Java and the basis for its consumer mobile platform? Or will it kill just about everything that Danger has built and try to jimmy Windows Mobile-like OS on those popular Sidekicks?
Apple certainly stands to benefit from all of this shakeup and uncertainty in the market.
If I am HTC, Samsung, or any of Microsoft’s other WM6 partners who make consumer phones, I am on the phone with the Google Android people, stat. (Oh wait HTC already is)
Seriously, we don’t get it. Can anyone help us out? Are they that desperate to battle the iPhone, Symbian and Android in the consumer space?
(Microsoft Stock Owners? Selllll! Winthorp, Sellllll!)
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