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Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was busy explaining to a stock holders meeting that the company's plan to improve the Windows Phone's sales was to appeal to Windows developers by allowing them to write universal applications that work on computers, phones and tablets, targeting a larger array of devices than just Microsoft's handsets.
Steve Ballmer, still a major stock holder, blurts out
"That won't work, Instead, the company needs to enable Windows Phones to run Android apps."
He was possibly right, but the outburst was about as welcome as a cactus in an outhouse.
The Application market for Windows phone is a mess. If it is free, Facebook, Skype, Twitter, it gets downloaded. If the developer charge much of anything at all, apps just don't sell. And developers just aren't spending any time developing for Windows Mobile.
It's not clear exactly what Ballmer meant by his comments, however. Was he implying that Windows Phones need to run apps that were originally designed for Android, and then ported over to Windows? In that case, he's probably aware that Project Astoria, the Windows "bridge" tool that will allow developers to port Android apps to Windows, has been reportedly put on hold.
Ballmer's cryptic comment could also imply that he thinks an emulation layer might be the best bet.
But there is a third option: As strange as it sounds, a Windows-branded Android phone might not be so far-fetched.
The Fine Article at PCWorld goes on to explain that Android is mostly Open Source. And Microsoft could fork Android just like Amazon did, just like Barns and Nobel did, and then simply put a Windows Skin on it and substitute their own app store for Google's app store.
Reports are that the Windows Phone is not actually horrible. But it is still unloved.
Does anyone here believe this would work? Has Microsoft waited too long?
(Score: 5, Insightful) by snufu on Sunday December 06 2015, @06:49AM
that does not have a lock-in end game.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by tftp on Sunday December 06 2015, @07:58AM
Then the question becomes: what will Microsoft do if there is no viable lock-in strategy to embrace? Because that's where they are now.
The Ballmer's comment is crystal clear, as I understand it. It means "surrender this battle, move on, and fight another battle somewhere else." Perhaps MS would write great Android apps and sell them to everyone, with any Android device. After all, they were meant to be a software house. Refusal to accept the reality - the fact that MS will not become a major player in the mobile hardware - hurts MS, as it is slamming its head against the wall of free Android and slick Apple again and again. Besides, those two have all the key patents on mobile between them, including the rounded corners :-)
(Score: 3, Interesting) by stormwyrm on Sunday December 06 2015, @08:04AM
Numquam ponenda est pluralitas sine necessitate.
(Score: 4, Informative) by frojack on Sunday December 06 2015, @08:27AM
But you are starting to see those patents being avoided. For instance Marshmallow (android 6) allows formatting microsd cards as internal storage (not fat, fat32, or exfat). Its formatted with what ever Android's native format it (usually ext4 or f2fs). See: https://source.android.com/devices/storage/config.html [android.com]
So Android is laying the ground work to dump the microsoft patents regarding storage. I don't know about the other media patents that Microsoft secretly enforces.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 07 2015, @06:27AM
is microsoft dead already? please? i'll even contribute a bag of nails for the coffin.