The best theory I've read is that HP's purchase of Palm caused the massive re-org of Microsoft's Entertainment division. Here is my line of thinking:
HP is Microsoft's biggest customer. They had already been dabbling in consumer Linux with their netbooks, but weren't happy with the result, and so were looking for an alternative. They were not keen on Android, because of the lack of product differentiation, as well as being once again dependent on another company for advances in the OS. They suffered through years of Microsoft's handicapping its CE and Mobile operating systems. They already know what is in Microsoft's late-to-the-party Windows Mobile 7, and didn't care for it -- or its lateness.
HP buying Palm hit two blows against Microsoft's E division:
- A line of in-production handhelds already supported by multiple phone carriers.
- A unique-looking operating system based on secure Unix and open Web standards.
I was once given an HP iPaq. I was delighted by the quality of the hardware, and dismayed by the difficult-to-use WinCE OS with which it was saddled. Now HP can write its own OS for its own handheld hardware.
It'll be fun to watch HP's phone OS marketshare exceed that of Microsoft's in the coming year.
(Now if only HP would own up to having produced junk for its tx1000 and tx2000 line of convertible notebook computers.)
HP is Microsoft's biggest customer. They had already been dabbling in consumer Linux with their netbooks, but weren't happy with the result, and so were looking for an alternative. They were not keen on Android, because of the lack of product differentiation, as well as being once again dependent on another company for advances in the OS. They suffered through years of Microsoft's handicapping its CE and Mobile operating systems. They already know what is in Microsoft's late-to-the-party Windows Mobile 7, and didn't care for it -- or its lateness.
HP buying Palm hit two blows against Microsoft's E division:
- A line of in-production handhelds already supported by multiple phone carriers.
- A unique-looking operating system based on secure Unix and open Web standards.
I was once given an HP iPaq. I was delighted by the quality of the hardware, and dismayed by the difficult-to-use WinCE OS with which it was saddled. Now HP can write its own OS for its own handheld hardware.
It'll be fun to watch HP's phone OS marketshare exceed that of Microsoft's in the coming year.
(Now if only HP would own up to having produced junk for its tx1000 and tx2000 line of convertible notebook computers.)
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