4 ms·

I think the proper approach to something like this would be to build a social network and then introduce the device, not the other way round. You can't expect u

I think the proper approach to something like this would be to build a social network and then introduce the device, not the other way round. You can't expect users to flock when the barrier to entry is the price of a device and the success of the network is questionable at best. If Facebook made a deal with a mobile device company (say HTC) and made a similar product, they'd be oodles more successful. Although the fact that our phones nowadays support apps and can browse the web makes this sort of moot anyway.

jasonlotito 16y ago
The price wasn't theirs to set. The Kin was a pretty cool product for the market. The price, however, was unreasonable. Apple get's a free pass with the iPhone despite AT&T, but MS releases a good product, and people blame the phone companies issues on MS.
- sasidharm 16y ago
  Prices can be negotiated with the carriers. Remember the original iPhone's 600$ price tag? Infact, MS supposedly got a very good pricing deal with Verizon which they botched up by not meeting the agreed upon timelines.
  - jasonlotito 16y ago
    > Remember the original iPhone's 600$ price tag? Yeah, it's still that high. > MS supposedly got a very good pricing deal with Verizon For the market, no. It was pretty clear when the product came out the pricing for the market it was going after was still too high.
mithaler 16y ago
According to the Engadget articles linked above, Verizon changed the pricing late in the development process because they smelled a rat on Microsoft's side and didn't trust them to deliver a product that would sell well. By all indications, they got wind of Microsoft's political struggles and at that point were as willing as Microsoft's managers to just fulfill their contractual obligations as quickly as possible and let the thing die quietly.

4 ms·

I think the proper approach to something like this would be to build a social network and then introduce the device, not the other way round. You can't expect u

by makmanalp 16y ago

jasonlotito 16y ago
The price wasn't theirs to set. The Kin was a pretty cool product for the market. The price, however, was unreasonable. Apple get's a free pass with the iPhone despite AT&T, but MS releases a good product, and people blame the phone companies issues on MS.
- sasidharm 16y ago
  Prices can be negotiated with the carriers. Remember the original iPhone's 600$ price tag? Infact, MS supposedly got a very good pricing deal with Verizon which they botched up by not meeting the agreed upon timelines.
  - jasonlotito 16y ago
    > Remember the original iPhone's 600$ price tag? Yeah, it's still that high. > MS supposedly got a very good pricing deal with Verizon For the market, no. It was pretty clear when the product came out the pricing for the market it was going after was still too high.
mithaler 16y ago
According to the Engadget articles linked above, Verizon changed the pricing late in the development process because they smelled a rat on Microsoft's side and didn't trust them to deliver a product that would sell well. By all indications, they got wind of Microsoft's political struggles and at that point were as willing as Microsoft's managers to just fulfill their contractual obligations as quickly as possible and let the thing die quietly.