5 ms·
Yep. Microsoft sold the Xbox at a loss and didn't turn a profit from it until 2008 - 6 years after it first edged its way into the market. By that metric, it's
by Smudge 14y ago
Yep. Microsoft sold the Xbox at a loss and didn't turn a profit from it until 2008 - 6 years after it first edged its way into the market.
By that metric, it's way too soon to call Microsoft's mobile execution a failure.
- jpadkins 14y agoTheir first smart phone was windows mobile 2003. They been at it 9 years, 1 reboot and 2% market share. (longer if you count their pda days). it's pretty much a failure.
- mletterle 14y agoEveryone on this thread has to realize that they're effectively rebooting with Windows Phone 8 later this year again.[1] Maybe not to the degree of WinMo -> WP7, but it's certainly another disruptive (to the app devs) refresh. [1]http://www.winsupersite.com/article/networking/time-running-out-windows-phone-143020 http://www.winsupersite.com/article/networking/time-running-...
- Smudge 14y agoAs far as I know, they have yet to disclose the full developer story around WP8. We can certainly speculate, but I doubt they'll do anything too disruptive or they'll risk losing the small amount of market they've worked so hard to gain.
- zacharycohn 14y agoThey executed well on the XBox and didn't need to reboot. They misstepped with WinMo. Then they rebooted. Start your count over again.
- latch 14y agoNo, they didn't. Over the course of its life, the XBox brand is still billions in the red. It only started turning up a relatively small profit a year or two ago. It has a long way to go before anyone should consider it successful. The problem with consoles is that there's no brand loyalty (except for Nintendo). It only takes 1 bad console for an established player to vanish, and 1 good console for a newcomer to succeed. Xbox live might be changing that, but it's still waayyy too early to call it either a success or failure. Though, certainly financially, it's been a small disaster so far.
- Smudge 14y agoWelcome to consumer electronics. Comparatively speaking, Microsoft has fared quite well.
- seanmcdirmid 14y agoComparatively speaking, Apple has done much better in consumer electronics.
- lmm 14y agoSure. Apple has done spectacularly well. It's a big jump from "not as good as Apple" to "worst CEO in America".
- seanmcdirmid 14y agoI won't make any judgement on leadership, and want to just point out this fact. A peer of Microsoft is succeeding very well in consumer electronics, meaning Microsoft could potentially as well and would become insanely successful (big profits beyond enterprise). Disclaimer: I work for Microsoft and so would love for them to realize that potential. I'm sure it is much more complicated than "replace CEO" to get there.
- deleted 14y ago[deleted]
- keeperofdakeys 14y agoEveryone is referring to WP7, since they effectively 're-entered'.
- jpadkins 14y agowe are talking about Balmer and his reign, which includes then entire winmo era.
- Smudge 14y agoIf you consider the Windows Phone line to be merely the next iteration of Windows Mobile, then, yes, thus far it has been a complete failure. But I don't think that's a very holistic viewpoint. Despite how terrible Windows Mobile was, it had a good hold of the market until the iPhone came along. It wasn't really a "failure" until it started declining in 2008. Microsoft's response, Windows Phone 7, was a complete reboot of their mobile line, and we have yet to see how it will perform in the long run.