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We're talking abstractly about platforms, excluding externals like payola. Motorola went all in on Android back in late-2008, which was incredible as the OS ha

We're talking abstractly about platforms, excluding externals like payola. Motorola went all in on Android back in late-2008, which was incredible as the OS had close to no marketshare and was rather a PoS at the time. As primarily a maker of hardware, it made no sense that Motorola would cut out the possibility that Microsoft (or others) would come up with something compelling, but that's what they did. Samsung, HTC and others were poised to be there if Windows Phone succeeded. It didn't and likely won't, but they didn't cut themselves out. Just to respond to the other chap who responded to you -- I have never, ever bought the "just another Android maker" argument. It doesn't make sense, and has never been the case in the market. Each vendor tries to get your purchase through their own compelling merits, and the platform really does become a commodity, but in a good way for them. That is why Nokia and their hardware/imaging focus could likely have done gangbusters with Android.

Steko 13y ago
"Motorola went all in on Android back in late-2008, which was incredible as the OS had close to no marketshare and was rather a PoS at the time. " Right but in hindsight Android is a huge success so that was the right move. "made no sense that Motorola would cut out the possibility that Microsoft (or others) would come up with something compelling" Did they? Sanjay explains that his company is willing to work with Microsoft on developing a handset based around its new OS, so long as the offering is "compelling." He notes that the first call he received upon becoming co-CEO and handset division chief back in 2008 was from none other than Steve Ballmer, but Microsoft's failure to deliver a new OS in '09 is what compelled him to go the Android route http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/06/motorola-is-open-to-developing-windows-phone-7-devices-but-on/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/06/motorola-is-open-to-devel...
- pinaceae 13y ago
  the right move for whom? Moto got bought. android destroyed the market for mobile OS due to its gratis nature. no mobile OS can be sold/licensed anymore, android has destroyed the price point. apple is building its own OS, MS needs to do the same incl. the hardware. the rest of mobile companies are now all on android, wait for google to do the heavy lifting, for free.
  - Steko 13y ago
    "the right move for whom? Moto got bought." Saying the decision to go with Android is what killed Motorola is like blaming the chef for the Titanic sinking. I mean they could have served duck that night instead of pheasant.
  - corresation 13y ago
    apple is building its own OS Just saw this post, and to be clear most other examples of companies making their own smartphone OS have been completely failures. Blackberry had their moment, but they are done. All of the various in-house OS' at the other makers are sputtering or dead. Apple is the anomaly here, and when people use Apple as the example of anything to follow, it ignores the enormous counterexamples. Apple succeeded with the iPhone because of the iPod and iTunes. Those early sales -- the ones that protected it from being end-of-lifed -- were almost entirely to people who had a big knowledge and investment with the iTunes ecosystem. Microsoft has nothing like that.

Steko 13y ago

"Motorola went all in on Android back in late-2008, which was incredible as the OS had close to no marketshare and was rather a PoS at the time. " Right but in hindsight Android is a huge success so that was the right move. "made no sense that Motorola would cut out the possibility that Microsoft (or others) would come up with something compelling" Did they? Sanjay explains that his company is willing to work with Microsoft on developing a handset based around its new OS, so long as the offering is "compelling." He notes that the first call he received upon becoming co-CEO and handset division chief back in 2008 was from none other than Steve Ballmer, but Microsoft's failure to deliver a new OS in '09 is what compelled him to go the Android route http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/06/motorola-is-open-to-developing-windows-phone-7-devices-but-on/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/06/motorola-is-open-to-devel...

pinaceae 13y ago
the right move for whom? Moto got bought. android destroyed the market for mobile OS due to its gratis nature. no mobile OS can be sold/licensed anymore, android has destroyed the price point. apple is building its own OS, MS needs to do the same incl. the hardware. the rest of mobile companies are now all on android, wait for google to do the heavy lifting, for free.
- Steko 13y ago
  "the right move for whom? Moto got bought." Saying the decision to go with Android is what killed Motorola is like blaming the chef for the Titanic sinking. I mean they could have served duck that night instead of pheasant.
- corresation 13y ago
  apple is building its own OS Just saw this post, and to be clear most other examples of companies making their own smartphone OS have been completely failures. Blackberry had their moment, but they are done. All of the various in-house OS' at the other makers are sputtering or dead. Apple is the anomaly here, and when people use Apple as the example of anything to follow, it ignores the enormous counterexamples. Apple succeeded with the iPhone because of the iPod and iTunes. Those early sales -- the ones that protected it from being end-of-lifed -- were almost entirely to people who had a big knowledge and investment with the iTunes ecosystem. Microsoft has nothing like that.