Microsoft Buying Nokia

I've been thinking about Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia.  Plenty of folks have pointed out how Microsoft has been a Johnny Come Lately on music players (Zune), Tablets (Surface) and smart phones (Windows).  Their phone partner in the smart phone market was looking for a winner and so they had a marriage of convenience with Microsoft to produce Windows phones.  What Nokia didn't have that Microsoft still has is a pile of money.

 

The bet didn't pay off for Microsoft and rather than lose their only major manufacturer to bankruptcy they bought the company.  If Nokia went under their Windows phone would have been toast.  Now they can spend billions more and it may still be toast in the end.  Only time will tell.

 

Then today there was this announcement about a new Samsung Galaxy Wristwatch  What is telling about this announcement is that I remember years ago (2003) when Bill Gates was still the CEO at Microsoft he was featured in an article showing off a smart wristwatchthat Microsoft was developing.   It will be interesting to watch what comes of the Samsung product and if it does what Microsoft was unable to do--sell the devices!

 

You have to give credit to Dick Tracy for coming up with the Wristwatch Radio some 67 years ago.  I guess you can say that both Microsoft and Samsung are late to the party for both of their products.  I'm guessing back then the radio was made by Motorola and it cost a fortune!