Microsoft, like most gigacorporations, constantly introduces new solutions and after a while abandons them because it finds that they do not bring adequate income. There are no sentiments then, the fans’ feelings don’t matter. Cells in Excel must be green, otherwise the project goes to the trash. Meanwhile, it turns out that there is 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 him, because love is blind. However, even he has recently been informed that the Surface Duo phone will not have a successor, and work on improving its software has been discontinued.
It’s a pity, because I saw the joy in his eyes when he showed how this smartphone worked at the meeting. Why am I mentioning this? Because Maciek had 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’s CEO, Satya Nadella, believes that he let Maciek down.
You can read more about Microsoft’s love affair with smartphones in:
The head of Microsoft admits – I failed Maciek Gajewski
But before we get to that, it’s time for 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 put its programmers to work, resulting in a completely new system called Windows Phone.
It was a revolution. Data from the application was presented in thematically grouped tiles, which made learning how to use the phone take a long time, but later difficult to break away from it. Let us add that it was a refined product, and the Lumias themselves looked 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 application creators. Microsoft made an attempt at resuscitation by releasing Windows 10 Mobile, but to say it was unsuccessful is an understatement.
Subsequent applications disappeared from the system, and even Microsoft’s own applications did not work with this software, which ultimately led to the point that there was no point in using these phones. Microsoft abandoned the smartphone market for many years, and when it released Surface Duo, it ran on Android.
And this brings us to the interview that Satya Nadella interviewed 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 that in hindsight it could have been done better. It could focus more on creating an ecosystem that connects smartphones, tablets and computers, as Apple currently does.
At Microsoft, they have bad luck with phones. Bill Gates still regrets that, thanks to his decision, mobile Windows did not become the basic mobile platform. He ignored the multitude of applications and ease of use in favor of his own solutions, which quickly turned out to be unsuccessful. Gates’ successor as CEO – Steve Ballmer, disregarded Apple, and his interview became legendary in which he laughed that since the iPhone does not have a physical keyboard, no one will buy it because it is not suitable for sending e-mails and other business activities. .
Time showed who was right. In the light of an interview with Business Insider, it turns out that Nadella is the third CEO of Microsoft who did not realize the potential of smartphones. And today it is too late to develop your own platform, even if it were to be the best in the world.
Today, you have to use Android, knowing that you could buy it a dozen or so years ago. Who knows what the fate of the technological world would have been like then. Perhaps I would be writing this article on a Lumia 1050 Ultra rather than a Samsung Android smartphone. Interestingly, the Korean giant was Microsoft’s hardware partner for a while. However, he chose the green robot. Just like everybody.
Main photo: Roman Pyshchyk / Shutterstock
2023-10-24 19:17:00
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