taq/gist:5849586

## gistfile1.txt
by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols, zdnet.com
June 23rd 2013

Summary: In recent weeks Microsoft has been doing some odd things with mobile operating systems, Windows RT, and Windows Phone 8. I think Microsoft is moving towards dropping its mobile OSs in favor of supporting Microsoft applications on other platforms and eventually replacing them with Windows 8.1 on their own devices.

This is not your dad's Microsoft. Microsoft has been refocusing on Web services and devices instead of Windows and software products. One of those changes seems to be that if Microsoft's mobile operating systems can't cut the mustard, Microsoft isn't afraid to cut them off at the knees.

What am I talking about? Let's look at some of Microsoft's mobile news in the last few weeks.

First, some background. Goodness knows Windows 8 has been a market failure, but it's a rip-roaring success compared to Windows RT and Windows Phone 8 (WP8).

WP8 has finally clawed its way up to third place on smartphone operating systems with 3.2-percent of the market. Android owns the smartphone market though with 75-percent of the market and Apple's iOS hanging on to 17.3-percent.

You might think WP8's growth was good news, but its rise has far more to do with Windows and Symbian's fall than its own organic growth. What's even more telling is that developers seem to be abandoning the platform.

Sameer Singh, the head analyst of BitChemy Ventures, a technology incubator group, recently observed that "Since mid-2012, app addition on the Windows Phone platform seems to have flat-lined. This is in stark contrast with app addition on Android & iOS over the same time-frame, even though the developer population at the time was smaller." He continued, "The unmistakable conclusion … is that developers are losing interest in the Windows Phone platform."

But, you know what really told me that WP8 is in trouble? Microsoft's own develioers aren't backing WP8. Microsoft just updated its Skype Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) program to support video mail: Skype video messaging. This feature is fully supported on Windows Desktop, Windows 8, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and BlackBerry... but not on WP8.

Yes, you read that right. Even BlackBerry gets the full Skype video messaging, but Microsoft's own WP8 doesn't. Oh, and by the way, Skype's how to use video messaging FAQ doesn't even mention WP8 or RT.

What I find even more telling is that Microsoft is finally offering the crown-jewels of its applications, Office, to iPhone users. The mobile version of its Word, Excel and PowerPoint products is now available for iPhone users via its Office 365 Web services. It's only a matter of time before a full tablet-sized version is available for iPads. After that, I'm sure it will show up on Android smartphones and tablets.

A hands-on look at Microsoft Office for the iPhone

That leaves me with two questions: With Microsoft supporting its apps on Android and iOS why in the world would you trade in your Nexus 7 or iPad for a Surface RT? Or, your Galaxy S4 or iPhone 5 for a Nokia Lumia 928? The answer in both cases is you wouldn't and Microsoft isn't giving you any reasons to switch.

Let's also not forget that Windows Phone 8 and RT are both feature incomplete compared to their competition for business use. WP8 still doesn't support virtual private networks (VPN) and RT will only get Microsoft's core e-mail program, Outlook, late this year... if it even gets Outlook then. It may now show up until October 2014 .

Frankly I doubt Windows RT will even be around in late 2014. Microsoft started dumping Surface RT tablets in early June and in mid-June they started an educational market fire-sale for the unpopular tablet.

How unpopular is it? By IDC's numbers in the first quarter Windows RT tablets stumbled out of the opening date to 0.2-percent of the market. Windows 8 tablets, at 3.3-percent had nothing to write home about either, but it was more eight-times better than RT.

With numbers like that I think you can see why I think Microsoft will let Windows RT die.

In RT's place, I see Microsoft redoubling its efforts on Windows 8.1-based devices. The ARM-powered RT devices will be replaced by Intel Silvermont/Bay Trail tablets running Windows 8.1.

It makes sense. This long-battery life processor family will give Microsoft a low-end tablet that can run "real" Windows instead of crippleware RT. Indeed, the Intel Silvermont/Merrifield, which is designed for smartphones, might enable Microsoft to replace WP8 with Windows 8.1 on phones.

You may have noticed that Microsoft has been listening to its customers more lately. Microsoft's customers have also been telling them in no uncertain terms that they're not interested in WP8 and RT.

What this adds up to is that I think Microsoft is going to continue to put its efforts on putting its Web-based applications and services on any platform—not just its own. In time, Microsoft's mobile operating systems, WP8 and RT, are going to be left to wither and die. In turn, they'll be replaced by Windows 8.1 as the x86 chip family becomes more tablet and smartphone friendly.

Good-bye RT, WP8, I wish I could say it's been nice to know you. I can't. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.


Original Page: http://t.co/z2umz3NP3i
	by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols, zdnet.com
	June 23rd 2013

	Summary: In recent weeks Microsoft has been doing some odd things with mobile operating systems, Windows RT, and Windows Phone 8. I think Microsoft is moving towards dropping its mobile OSs in favor of supporting Microsoft applications on other platforms and eventually replacing them with Windows 8.1 on their own devices.

	This is not your dad's Microsoft. Microsoft has been refocusing on Web services and devices instead of Windows and software products. One of those changes seems to be that if Microsoft's mobile operating systems can't cut the mustard, Microsoft isn't afraid to cut them off at the knees.

	What am I talking about? Let's look at some of Microsoft's mobile news in the last few weeks.

	First, some background. Goodness knows Windows 8 has been a market failure, but it's a rip-roaring success compared to Windows RT and Windows Phone 8 (WP8).

	WP8 has finally clawed its way up to third place on smartphone operating systems with 3.2-percent of the market. Android owns the smartphone market though with 75-percent of the market and Apple's iOS hanging on to 17.3-percent.

	You might think WP8's growth was good news, but its rise has far more to do with Windows and Symbian's fall than its own organic growth. What's even more telling is that developers seem to be abandoning the platform.

	Sameer Singh, the head analyst of BitChemy Ventures, a technology incubator group, recently observed that "Since mid-2012, app addition on the Windows Phone platform seems to have flat-lined. This is in stark contrast with app addition on Android & iOS over the same time-frame, even though the developer population at the time was smaller." He continued, "The unmistakable conclusion … is that developers are losing interest in the Windows Phone platform."

	But, you know what really told me that WP8 is in trouble? Microsoft's own develioers aren't backing WP8. Microsoft just updated its Skype Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) program to support video mail: Skype video messaging. This feature is fully supported on Windows Desktop, Windows 8, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and BlackBerry... but not on WP8.

	Yes, you read that right. Even BlackBerry gets the full Skype video messaging, but Microsoft's own WP8 doesn't. Oh, and by the way, Skype's how to use video messaging FAQ doesn't even mention WP8 or RT.

	What I find even more telling is that Microsoft is finally offering the crown-jewels of its applications, Office, to iPhone users. The mobile version of its Word, Excel and PowerPoint products is now available for iPhone users via its Office 365 Web services. It's only a matter of time before a full tablet-sized version is available for iPads. After that, I'm sure it will show up on Android smartphones and tablets.

	A hands-on look at Microsoft Office for the iPhone

	That leaves me with two questions: With Microsoft supporting its apps on Android and iOS why in the world would you trade in your Nexus 7 or iPad for a Surface RT? Or, your Galaxy S4 or iPhone 5 for a Nokia Lumia 928? The answer in both cases is you wouldn't and Microsoft isn't giving you any reasons to switch.

	Let's also not forget that Windows Phone 8 and RT are both feature incomplete compared to their competition for business use. WP8 still doesn't support virtual private networks (VPN) and RT will only get Microsoft's core e-mail program, Outlook, late this year... if it even gets Outlook then. It may now show up until October 2014 .

	Frankly I doubt Windows RT will even be around in late 2014. Microsoft started dumping Surface RT tablets in early June and in mid-June they started an educational market fire-sale for the unpopular tablet.

	How unpopular is it? By IDC's numbers in the first quarter Windows RT tablets stumbled out of the opening date to 0.2-percent of the market. Windows 8 tablets, at 3.3-percent had nothing to write home about either, but it was more eight-times better than RT.

	With numbers like that I think you can see why I think Microsoft will let Windows RT die.

	In RT's place, I see Microsoft redoubling its efforts on Windows 8.1-based devices. The ARM-powered RT devices will be replaced by Intel Silvermont/Bay Trail tablets running Windows 8.1.

	It makes sense. This long-battery life processor family will give Microsoft a low-end tablet that can run "real" Windows instead of crippleware RT. Indeed, the Intel Silvermont/Merrifield, which is designed for smartphones, might enable Microsoft to replace WP8 with Windows 8.1 on phones.

	You may have noticed that Microsoft has been listening to its customers more lately. Microsoft's customers have also been telling them in no uncertain terms that they're not interested in WP8 and RT.

	What this adds up to is that I think Microsoft is going to continue to put its efforts on putting its Web-based applications and services on any platform—not just its own. In time, Microsoft's mobile operating systems, WP8 and RT, are going to be left to wither and die. In turn, they'll be replaced by Windows 8.1 as the x86 chip family becomes more tablet and smartphone friendly.

	Good-bye RT, WP8, I wish I could say it's been nice to know you. I can't. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.


	Original Page: http://t.co/z2umz3NP3i