Microsoft, like most giant companies, constantly introduces new solutions, and after a while abandons them because it finds that they do not generate enough income. There are no feelings then, the fans’ feelings don’t matter. Cells in Excel must be green, otherwise the project will be sent to the trash. Meanwhile, it turns out there’s one decision they deeply regret.
We have a person in our editorial office who is hopelessly in love with Microsoft products – Maciek Gajewski. Even when the giant abandons his works, he still stands by his side, because love is blind. However, even it was recently informed that the Surface Duo phone will not have a successor, and work on improving its software has been halted.
It’s a pity, because I saw joy in his eyes when he showed how this smartphone works at the meeting. Why do I mention this? Because Maciek has already gone through a similar disappointment once, when a few years ago Microsoft decided to abandon its own operating system called Windows Phone. It turns out that even Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella believes he let Masek down.
You can read more about Microsoft’s love affair with smartphones at:
Microsoft CEO admits – I let Maciek Gajewski down
But before we get to that, it’s time to take a little trip into the past. Years ago, Microsoft created its own operating system for phones called Windows Mobile. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a hit. However, Microsoft did not abandon smartphones then, but rather put their programmers to work, which led to the emergence of a completely new system called Windows Phone.
It was a revolution. Data from the app was presented in tiles grouped by topic, which made learning how to use the phone time-consuming, but difficult to later disconnect from. Let’s add that it was a duplicate product, and the Lumias themselves look very interesting.
However, the market did not share this enthusiasm and Windows Phones sold increasingly worse. The real nail in the coffin was the practical abandonment of the system by the app’s creators. Microsoft made an attempt at revival with the launch of Windows 10 Mobile, but to say it didn’t succeed is an understatement.
Subsequent applications disappeared from the system, and even Microsoft’s own applications did not work with this software, which ultimately made these phones useless. Microsoft abandoned the smartphone market for many years, and when it released the Surface Duo, it ran Android.
This brings us to the interview Satya Nadella gave an interview to Business InsiderIn which he admitted that the decision to abandon Windows Phone and the smartphone market was a mistake.
Better late than never
Nadella admits it could have been done better in hindsight. It can focus more on creating an ecosystem that connects smartphones, tablets and computers, as Apple is currently doing.
At Microsoft, they have bad luck with phones. Bill Gates still regrets that, thanks to his decision, Windows Mobile did not become the mobile platform. He ignored versatility and ease of use in favor of his own solutions, which quickly proved unsuccessful. Gates’ successor as CEO – Steve Ballmer, ignored Apple, and his interview became legendary in which he laughed that since the iPhone did not have a physical keyboard, no one would buy it because it was not suitable for sending emails and other work. Activities. .
Time showed who was right. In light of an interview with Business Insider, it appears that Nadella is the third Microsoft CEO who did not realize the potential of smartphones. Today is too late to develop your own platform, even if it is the best in the world.
Today, you have to use Android, even though you could have bought it a dozen or so years ago. Who knows what the fate of the technological world would have been like then? Maybe I’ll be writing this article on a Lumia 1050 Ultra instead of a Samsung Android smartphone. Interestingly, the Korean giant has been a hardware partner of Microsoft for a while. However, he chose the green robot. Just like everyone else.
Main image: Roman Bishkek/Shutterstock
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