Microsoft is not on its last legs. It doesn't have a "developer problem". There are a lot of microsof-related jobs out there, more so than most web trendy technologies. It is a solid company with solid footing.
Yes, Bing did not beat Google. Yes, their phones have always been second-tier (until this latest batch which is pretty nice). Yes, there are a lot of things that they have failed at.
But the one thing they have that others dont is the user base. Everyone and their mothers has windows (unless you are or are related to a computer geek (like my dad who runs ubuntu)). This is the power of Microsoft, if it can translae all of that userbase from Windows 7/8 to the tablet/phone market, then the game is mostly over for Apple and Android.
Microsoft can do that with a top-notch product, and each new iteration they put out is times better than the last. They also can provide to most enterprises what Apple or Google/Android cannot: a seamless integration of all of their Windows-powered devices (which means that they can still keep their XP/.Net boxes running and integrate them with some API).
They are aiming for one OS to run on everything. Smart move. Takes time, but will ultimately will give them the edge. They have proven to be a dependable enterprise supplier, and giving enterprises more options to compete will just make them stronger.
Will developers write code for it? They already are. You just don't read about it due to the marketing snowball that Apple and Android are enjoying.
If you think about it, iOS and Android have only existed for less than ten yers. Windows has been here since Pangea. You think they survived this long by chance?
Edit: Please fix your webpage. It does not load properly without JS.
I thoroughly agree with all you wrote, save for the mother problem: iOS is the first platform where I've ever seen my mother seem in control and empowered by her computing experience. After five years those interaction models and expectations are seared in to a large number of people and it is going to take an absolutely incredible product to make her move to another platform.
I do not see Windows-ish or Microsoft-esque software to be an asset in the mobile field for the great bulk of consumers. It is not a desirable experience, just a now-familiar one.
...iOS is the first platform where I've ever seen my mother seem in control and empowered by her computing experience.
Absolutely. I experienced that with my father and wife. Ubuntu and iOS empowered them to not be afraid to try something new with the computer/device. When people are not afraid of "breaking windows" a wonderful thing happens: they use the device as a tool of empowerment rather than a tool to get some task done.
After five years those interaction models and expectations are seared in to a large number of people and it is going to take an absolutely incredible product to make her move to another platform.
That is why I said that Microsoft keeps iterating better products. I'm sure hey are about to hit it big. What will make people like your mother or my wife change back to Windows is the integration with the other Microsoft products. The majority of professions (my wife is a teacher) are tied down to MS. Giving them a phone that will integrate with that will just make the others look like Linux looks o someone who has always worked with Windows: foreign.
I do not see Windows-ish or Microsoft-esque software to be an asset in the mobile field for the great bulk of consumers. It is not a desirable experience, just a now-familiar one.
The bulk of consumers would pick something familiar over something new (or even better). They know Microsoft through Windows. They will pick Windows if given a trendy and functional phone that will inegrate wih their life (and not the other way around).
But it still be Windows. People will just sit down and learn it. Unlike my experience installing Ubuntu, where people feel foreign to the UI because it is not windows. Even though it is easier to use (My experiences cover Ubuntu/gnome).
I think the market has shown, with WM and WP sales and market share, that there is no halo affect from Windows. Simply put, [desktop] Windows doesn't matter in mobile. It is not preventing people from choosing iOS or Android over WP.
You are right. Thing is, like I said, MS keep improving its mobile offerings. With the strong brand name MS has, they could turn things around in no time.
Yes, Bing did not beat Google. Yes, their phones have always been second-tier (until this latest batch which is pretty nice). Yes, there are a lot of things that they have failed at.
But the one thing they have that others dont is the user base. Everyone and their mothers has windows (unless you are or are related to a computer geek (like my dad who runs ubuntu)). This is the power of Microsoft, if it can translae all of that userbase from Windows 7/8 to the tablet/phone market, then the game is mostly over for Apple and Android.
Microsoft can do that with a top-notch product, and each new iteration they put out is times better than the last. They also can provide to most enterprises what Apple or Google/Android cannot: a seamless integration of all of their Windows-powered devices (which means that they can still keep their XP/.Net boxes running and integrate them with some API).
They are aiming for one OS to run on everything. Smart move. Takes time, but will ultimately will give them the edge. They have proven to be a dependable enterprise supplier, and giving enterprises more options to compete will just make them stronger.
Will developers write code for it? They already are. You just don't read about it due to the marketing snowball that Apple and Android are enjoying.
If you think about it, iOS and Android have only existed for less than ten yers. Windows has been here since Pangea. You think they survived this long by chance?
Edit: Please fix your webpage. It does not load properly without JS.