Microsoft has gone from king of the world to court jester in a few short years. Well, that was somewhat unfair; it’s not quite court jester material, yet. It’s more like a baron that has been exiled to some remote part of the digital realm to oversee straggly serfs and crops.
No, that’s also a little unfair. Perhaps we should stop seeking medieval comparisons and tell it like it is: the once omnipotent company retains its hold on PC software but consistently fails to make significant inroads in any other market, especially the increasingly competitive – and important – mobile market.
In a sense the company is beleaguered. It’s in a constant battle with Google, not only for the hearts and minds of internet users but also in court rooms across the world. It’s battling Apple, which persistently trespasses on its desktop territory. And it has its share of internal problems to deal with, like releasing problems with bugs or vulnerabilities that invite hackers.
Still, you have to hand it to the company; it’s very determined
Microsoft is not at all prepared to yield the mobile market to Apple and Google. It’s tried various tactics but is hoping, almost against hope, that its partnership with Nokia will bring it the breakthrough it so desperately needs. Nokia, in turn, is hoping that Windows Phone will give it the edge it needs to get closer to iPhone and Blackberry.
Nokia’s Lumia 900 was released on Easter Sunday, after an intensive marketing and advertising push by both companies. In the short space of time between releasing the phone to reviewers and reaching the stores, Microsoft has gained much praise, and much criticism.
For example, Joshua Topolsky (Washington Post) says that the phone is the best looking on the market (which has nothing to do with Microsoft); he says that its hardware is great (also nothing to do with Microsoft); but he also says that while the problems with Windows Phone are small, they are many. He equates it to death by a thousand cuts.
And that’s fairly damning
Still, the Lumia was one of the fastest selling new releases on Amazon and had an impressive number of pre-orders. Its competitive price means that it is still flying off shelves.
Nokia and Microsoft will be hoping to replicate and improve on this success with their tablet device that is due to be released later in 2012. It will be Nokia’s first tablet and could mark Microsoft’s first really competitive shot at Apple and Google.
Will it be enough to give Microsoft the exposure it needs to establish its presence as the OS of choice on more mobile devices?
What do you think?