Microsoft's main problem is marketing - to be more specific, a naming problem.
Windows everywhere
They doomed Windows phone with the name WINDOWS.
Their windows on ARM, Win RT push was also handicapped and doomed the moment they named it Windows...
Explanation.
Windows means:
1. BSOD, instability, viruses,
2. Expectations of ability to run billions of existing windows software
The first thing that popped in anyone's mind about Windows Phone was 1 above.
For ARM, many frustrated customers returned their store-bought Windows ARM devices after they got home and could not run normal vlc, chrome, existing games...
Microsoft having realized this, has spent the last 4 years+ working on the ability to run classic windows apps on windows for ARM. They placed their bet on faster chips - Apple got there first.
If Microsoft names their ARM operating system something else, initial marketing dollars would be initially higher. But it would be worth it.
To developers, nothing will change, it's the same UWP, same APIs.
Imagine xbox was called "Windows Gaming". It too would be dead.
Windows everywhere
They doomed Windows phone with the name WINDOWS.
Their windows on ARM, Win RT push was also handicapped and doomed the moment they named it Windows...
Explanation.
Windows means:
1. BSOD, instability, viruses,
2. Expectations of ability to run billions of existing windows software
The first thing that popped in anyone's mind about Windows Phone was 1 above.
For ARM, many frustrated customers returned their store-bought Windows ARM devices after they got home and could not run normal vlc, chrome, existing games...
Microsoft having realized this, has spent the last 4 years+ working on the ability to run classic windows apps on windows for ARM. They placed their bet on faster chips - Apple got there first.
If Microsoft names their ARM operating system something else, initial marketing dollars would be initially higher. But it would be worth it.
To developers, nothing will change, it's the same UWP, same APIs.
Imagine xbox was called "Windows Gaming". It too would be dead.